North American box turtles belong to the genus Terrapene which is also their scientific or latin name. There is another group of box turtles in Asia from the genus Cuora. We have focused on the most common subspecies of box turtles in the USA. These box turtles range from southern Maine to the south Florida Keys, west to Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, and Texas. In total, there are approximately 14 subspieces of box turtles. When keeping adult box turtles, separate pens should be set up for each subspieces to prevent cross breeding.
Terrapene Carolina Carolina - Eastern box turtle
Terrapene Carolina Triunguis - Three toed box turtle
Terrapene Carolina Major - Gulf Coast box turtle
Terrapene Carolina Bauri - Florida box turtle
Terrapane Ornata Ornata - Ornate box turtle
Terrapene Ornata Luteola - Desert box turtle
They are identified by their high domed top shell, called a carapace. The colors of the carapace vary from dark brown to medium brown. They can be marked with yellow, orange or brown streaks or flecks. Their bottom shell, called a plastron, has a hinge that allows the turtle to close up very tightly. This is significant for them as it is a defense mechanism for them to protect themselves from predators. The plastron can be dark in color, some plain and others with yellow markings. The hinge across the plastron enables the turtle to withdraw deep into its shell and close up, which is one reason these turtles are called Box Tutles. There are other species of turtles that also have hinges. Males have a concavity to their plastrons whereas a female has a flat plastron. The males have a thicker tail than a female and usually have red eyes. I have seen some females with red eyes but the usual color is brown. Some prefer forests while others prefer marshy areas, depending on the species. Their diet includes worms, bugs, snails, beetles, vegetables, flowers, and berries.
