Three-Toed Box Turtle
Common Name: Three-Toed Box Turtle
Scientific Name: Terrapene carolina triunguis[1]
Physical Description: The Three-Toed Box Turtle is the smallest of the Eastern Box Turtle subspecies, growing up to only 2 pounds and 6 inches in length. It has 3 toes on each hind foot, giving it its characteristic name! The Three-Toed Box Turtle tends to be brown, gray in color, with the occasional inclusion of reds or oranges within its colors. They also have scaled legs and a hinged plastron which allows them to close their shell for protection.
Habitat: The Three-Toed Box Turtle lives near bodies of water in wetlands, grasses, and woodlands. They require access to warm sunlight and rocks to bask to maintain homeostasis, and temperature also plays a role in sex determination of their offspring.
Range: South-central United States
Diet: Insects, plants, seeds, small vertebrates
Life Span: 30-50 years
Social Structure: They are solitary animals that provide no parental care. They live in a habitat roughly the size of an American football field.
Status: Vulnerable
Other: Tip from the Zoo: Don’t move turtles you find in the wild. They live in small ranges, and moving them could take them from their habitat.
[1] https://www.marylandzoo.org/animal/three-toed-box-turtle/
Scientific Name: Terrapene carolina triunguis[1]
Physical Description: The Three-Toed Box Turtle is the smallest of the Eastern Box Turtle subspecies, growing up to only 2 pounds and 6 inches in length. It has 3 toes on each hind foot, giving it its characteristic name! The Three-Toed Box Turtle tends to be brown, gray in color, with the occasional inclusion of reds or oranges within its colors. They also have scaled legs and a hinged plastron which allows them to close their shell for protection.
Habitat: The Three-Toed Box Turtle lives near bodies of water in wetlands, grasses, and woodlands. They require access to warm sunlight and rocks to bask to maintain homeostasis, and temperature also plays a role in sex determination of their offspring.
Range: South-central United States
Diet: Insects, plants, seeds, small vertebrates
Life Span: 30-50 years
Social Structure: They are solitary animals that provide no parental care. They live in a habitat roughly the size of an American football field.
Status: Vulnerable
Other: Tip from the Zoo: Don’t move turtles you find in the wild. They live in small ranges, and moving them could take them from their habitat.
[1] https://www.marylandzoo.org/animal/three-toed-box-turtle/
