The box turtle enjoys omnivorous lifestyle
The term “box turtle” can refer to either the Asian box turtle or to the North American box turtle.
Box turtles are characterized by their domed shell which is hinged at the bottom. This hinging allows the turtle to tightly close its shell providing better protection from predators. While this domed, hinged shell is common to both genera, the turtles differ in habitat, behavior, and appearance.
The North American box turtle, which is what we will be referring to in this article, is omnivorous. Their sharp eyes and keen sense of smell help them to find foods such as snails, berries, fungi, slugs, worms, roots, flowers, fish, frogs, snakes, salamanders, birds, and eggs.
Their feasting preference varies by season but there is a definite trend as to age. The young are primarily carnivorous leading them to hunt for their food in ponds and streams during their first 5 to 7 years, while the adults usually feed on land as they tend to be more herbivorous. However, box turtles eat no green leaves.
Temperatures tend to determine activity rates. The preferred body temperature of the box turtle is between 84˚ and 100˚F. This is why in the heat of summer, box turtles restrict their activities to mainly mornings or after it rains. If they get too uncomfortable in the heat, they will hide under decaying logs and leaves, crawl into abandoned mammal burrows, or dig into the mud. In the spring and fall, with the cooler temperatures, the box turtle will forage during daylight hours, sometimes stopping to bask in the sun for warmth. Box turtles are active in daytime and will scoop out a shallow bed for the night.
Box turtles go into hibernation by November in the Northern regions, but remain active on into December in the warmer Southern climates. To hibernate, they will dig up to 2 feet deep. They often return to the same place to hibernate and sometimes more than one turtle will share this place. Hibernation typically lasts until April.
These turtles have a home range with a diameter of 750 feet or less in which they normally stay. For unknown reasons, they will occasionally journey beyond their range and will find themselves within the space of another turtle. Though this seems intrusive, when found together, these turtles show no antagonism towards each other.
The biggest problem facing the box turtle is habitat destruction. Woodlands converted into farmland have reduced the range of these turtles in many states. The remaining available land is often fragmented with housing projects and roads. These obstacles break up the turtles’ habitat.
A further threat includes the capturing and selling of wild-born box turtles. Some states, such as Indiana, have laws against the collection of turtles from the wild and in many states it is illegal to keep them without a permit. Collecting box turtles from the wild may cause irreparable damage to the turtle population because they are already hindered by a low reproductive rate compounded by their inability to easily find a mate.
James L. Cummins is executive director of Wildlife Mississippi, a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plant resources throughout Mississippi. Their web site is www.wildlifemiss.org.