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Eastern Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina carolina
Description
Indiana's familiar land turtle, with a high domed shell and a hinged plastron that snaps shut like a box. Long-lived and slow to mature.
Stats
Size
Carapace 5 - 6 inches
Status
State Protected, Special Concern
Similar Species
Ornate Box Turtle, which has a flatter shell with radiating yellow lines.
Diet
Omnivorous - berries, mushrooms, earthworms, slugs, and insects.
Habitat
Open woodlands, forest edges, and adjacent meadows.
Reproduction
Lays 3-8 eggs in a shallow nest in early summer; nest temperature determines the sex of hatchlings.
Eastern Box Turtle
Eastern Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina carolina
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