Box Turtle
Terrapene spp.
Beastly Facts · Updated
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Overview
Box turtles are North America's most beloved native turtle, found from the eastern United States west to the Great Plains. Unlike their aquatic cousins, box turtles are largely terrestrial. Their hinged plastron (lower shell) closes so completely that no predator can reach the soft tissue inside - a unique adaptation in the turtle world. They can live over 100 years and have strong homing instincts, navigating back to precise territories across their lifetime.
Quick Facts
Native Range
North America (eastern and central United States, Mexico)
Natural Habitat
Forest, meadow, grassland, and woodland edges
Adult Size
4.5-7 inches (11-18 cm)
Wild Diet
Omnivore - earthworms, insects, berries, mushrooms, and plants
Wild Lifespan
50-100+ years
Conservation Status
Vulnerable (IUCN); threatened in many US states
History
Box turtles were common across the eastern United States through most of the twentieth century, and their decline owes as much to collection as to roads and lost habitat. Documented population declines have run between 70 and 74 percent, and in the late 1990s more than 30,000 box turtles were removed from Louisiana alone over a 41 month period for the pet trade. The United States proposed the genus for a CITES listing in 1994 on the strength of numbers like that, and Terrapene now sits on Appendix II. The wild-caught animal that was once the default is exactly why the species needed the protection.
Compare
Box Turtle
Human
Adult Size
4.5-7 inches (11-18 cm)
5-6 feet (150-185 cm); ~135-200 lbs
Wild Lifespan
50-100+ years
~73 years (global average)
Wild Diet
Omnivore - earthworms, insects, berries, mushrooms, and plants
Omnivorous - eats just about anything
Native Range
North America (eastern and central United States, Mexico)
Global - originated in Africa roughly 300,000 years ago
Natural Habitat
Forest, meadow, grassland, and woodland edges
Everywhere from arctic tundra to tropical megacities
Conservation Status
Vulnerable (IUCN); threatened in many US states
Least Concern (8+ billion and counting)
Test Yourself
What's the Box Turtle's native range?
Fun Facts
🐢 Survival Specialists
Box turtles usually live 25 to 35 years, which is already a long run for a small forest turtle. A few go way beyond that and have survived past 100 years old! When danger shows up, these patient survivors simply pull into their shells and wait for it to pass.
🐢 Sealed Shut Like a Box
A box turtle's bottom shell has a hinge that lets it close up almost completely, sealing itself inside like, well, a box. When threatened, it pulls its body into its shell and waits for the danger to pass.
Where it is legal
34 US jurisdictions restrict this species, from outright bans to permits. Every one quotes the rule it comes from.
Legal Guide
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Deep Dive
Health and More
Did You Know?
Box turtles have a hinged plastron (lower shell) that closes so tightly that no predator can get in. They are the only turtles that can completely seal themselves inside their shell!
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