Quick Pics - Wildlife - Eastern Box Turtle

Eastern Box Turtles are true omniviores, eating both meat and vegitation. The young turtles gravitate toward meat such as worms, small fish, even dead mammals. Young turtles are usually found near water, the location of the types of food they enjoy. As the turtles age, they tend to eat more vegitation and are found more often on land.

Eastern Box Turtles prefer a cool, shady habitat and tend to stay close to shallow pools of water. Kessler Nature Preserve is an excellent habitat for turtles as well as many other reptiles and amphibians, due to it's shallow pools of water and varied wildlife and plant activity.

We are right in the middle of turtle mating season, which starts in late spring and continues until early October. Interestingly enough, mating is often times fatal for males. The balancing act required to fertilize the females can sometimes go wrong, leaving the male upside-down on it's back. Unfortunately for the males, turtles often cannot right themselves and may starve.

Fun Turtle Fact!
Box turtles got their name from the way their shell is shaped. Unlike many other turtles, box turtles have a bilobed plastron, which in laymans terms means that the bottom of their shell is hinged at the front and the back. This means the turtle can close up like a little box if anything threatens or frightens them.

This little guy was found in the middle of a road in Hide-A-Way Hills. He was carried to safety. (hopefully in the direction he was trying to go :) )

As always, be cautious driving! Turtles can't jump out of the way like deer can and are often run over by cars.

Written by: Carrie Augustus - Virtual Assistant, Orginally Posted 7-03-2007

Sources:
Smithsonian National Zoological Park

WildWNC.Org Animal Facts: Eastern Box Turtle