North American box turtle

North American box turtle Temporal range: Miocene - Recent, 15–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Florida box turtle, Terrapene carolina bauri
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Emydidae
Subfamily:	Emydinae
Genus:	Terrapene Merrem, 1820[1]
Type species
Terrapene carolina (Linnaeus, 1758)
Species[1]
Terrapene carolina Terrapene coahuila Terrapene mexicana Terrapene nelsoni Terrapene ornata Terrapene triunguis Terrapene yucatana
Synonyms[2]
Cistuda Fleming, 1822 Diducla Rafinesque, 1832 Pyxidemys Fitzinger, 1835 Emyoides Gray, 1844 Onychotria Gray, 1849 Pariemys Cope, 1895 Toxaspis Cope, 1895

North American box turtles are turtles of the genus Terrapene. Although box turtles are superficially similar to tortoises in terrestrial habits and overall appearance, they are actually members of the American pond turtle family (Emydidae). The 12 taxa which are distinguished in the genus are distributed over seven species. They are largely characterized by having a domed shell which is hinged at the bottom, allowing the animal to retract its head and legs and close its shell tightly to protect itself from predators.