Eastern Box Turtle Care Guide - All Turtles

Eastern Box Turtle

🐢 Faces of the Eastern Box Turtle 🐢 DID YOU KNOW? One of the most imperiled species we work with EVERY DAY at our wildlife center was once VERY common across the Eastern US. It wasn't until recent years that we've begun to realize that their numbers are in steep decline. The Eastern or Woodland Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is an iconic species in the woodlands of our region. They are mild-mannered, highly variable, and beautiful reptiles who have suffered greatly due to human activ

🐢✨ This is an Eastern Box Turtle! 🐢 They get their name because when they’re scared, they can close their shell like a box—not just hide in it. Plus, their shells are beautifully camouflaged to blend in with leaf litter! 🍂This one has red eyes, which suggests it’s a male. A better way to check is by looking at the plastron—if it’s concave, it’s a male, and if it’s flat, it’s a female. 🐢 Females have flat shells to make room for eggs, while males are concave to help with mating. 🧑‍🤝‍🧑Inste