All boxed up - Illinois 10 All boxed up.pdf20 / Outdoor Illinois May 2010 All boxed up W...
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20 / OutdoorIllinois May 2010 All boxed up W hat did you find on your outdoor adven- ture, an eastern or ornate box turtle? Here are some hints to help you determine which is which. The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) has a highly variable shell pat- tern of yellow or orange markings on a dark background. The plastron is uni- formly plain and devoid of mark- ings. Habitat can be a quick clue to help identify which box turtle you’ve encountered: This turtle inhabits forests and forest edges, so if you’re walking in the forest in Illinois and see a box tur- tle, it’s probably an eastern box turtle. The ornate box turtle (T. ornata) has a dark brown shell with a yellow midback stripe and six to eight yellow lines radiating from the center of each scute. The plastron is patterned with a series of yellow lines on a darker back- ground color. Prairies and open fields in former prairies are the preferred habitat for this species. Box turtles can be amazingly long- lived in the wild—they might be even older than you! Research has shown a box turtle in the wild can live for 40 years or longer, partly due to its perfect defense system in which it can hide completely inside its own shell, sealed up against would-be predators. Most other turtles lack the ability to complete- ly retract their arms and legs and seal themselves inside their shell. During colder months, box turtles burrow into the ground and do not emerge again until spring when their omnivorous diet of insects, worms, fungi and plants once again becomes abundant. ornate box turtle eastern box turtle (Photo by Adele Hodde.) Photos by John Tucker, Illinois Natural History Survey
Transcript of All boxed up - Illinois 10 All boxed up.pdf20 / Outdoor Illinois May 2010 All boxed up W...
20 / OutdoorIllinois May 2010
All boxed up
W hat did you find onyour outdoor adven-ture, an eastern orornate box turtle?Here are some hints to
help you determine which is which.The eastern box turtle (Terrapene
carolina) has a highly variable shell pat-tern of yellow or orange markings on adark background. The plastron is uni-formly plain and devoid of mark-ings. Habitat can be a quick clue tohelp identify which box turtle you’ve
encountered: This turtle inhabits forestsand forest edges, so if you’re walking inthe forest in Illinois and see a box tur-tle, it’s probably an eastern box turtle.The ornate box turtle (T. ornata)
has a dark brown shell with a yellowmidback stripe and six to eight yellowlines radiating from the center of eachscute. The plastron is patterned with aseries of yellow lines on a darker back-ground color. Prairies and open fieldsin former prairies are the preferredhabitat for this species.Box turtles can be amazingly long-
lived in the wild—they might be even
older than you! Research has shown abox turtle in the wild can live for 40years or longer, partly due to its perfectdefense system in which it can hidecompletely inside its own shell, sealedup against would-be predators. Mostother turtles lack the ability to complete-ly retract their arms and legs and sealthemselves inside their shell. Duringcolder months, box turtles burrow intothe ground and do not emerge againuntil spring when their omnivorous dietof insects, worms, fungi and plants onceagain becomes abundant.
ornate box turtle
eastern box turtle
(Photo by Adele Hodde.)
Photos by John Tucker, IllinoisNatural History Survey
