| Common box turtle | |
|---|---|
| |
| 1842 drawing | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Superfamily: | Testudinoidea |
| Family: | Emydidae |
| Genus: | Terrapene |
| Species: | T. carolina
|
| Binomial name | |
| Terrapene carolina | |
| Subspecies | |
|
See text | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
The common box turtle (Terrapene carolina) is a species of box turtle with five existing subspecies. It is found throughout the Eastern United States and Mexico. The box turtle has a distinctive hinged lower shell that allows it to completely enclose itself, like a box. Its upper jaw is hooked. The turtle is primarily terrestrial and eats a wide variety of plants and animals. The females lay their eggs in the summer. Turtles in the northern part of their range hibernate over the winter.
Common box turtle numbers are declining because of habitat loss, roadkill, and capture for the pet trade. The species is classified as vulnerable to threats to its survival by the IUCN Red List. Three states have chosen subspecies of the common box turtle as their official state reptile: T. c. carolina in North Carolina and Tennessee and T. c. triunguis in Missouri.
- ^ van Dijk, P.P. (2016) [errata version of 2011 assessment]. "Terrapene carolina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T21641A97428179. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T21641A9303747.en. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 198. doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895. S2CID 87809001.