Terrapene carolina carolina
Eastern Box Turtle

    • Habitat:
      Forests, scrub, fields, meadows, swamps, marshes, and thickets
    • Threats:
      - Habitat destruction and fragmentation
      - Road and railroad mortality
      - Disease transmission
      - Collection for personal use and the illegal pet trade
    • Conservation Efforts:
      - Repatriation and reintroduction programs
      - Field surveys
      - Protected from commercial collection in all range states
    • Wild Population:
      Decreasing; abundant in some areas, while scarce in others
    • Endangered Status:
      Vulnerable

Fast Facts

They have the most advanced closure system with their plastron.

During the winter the Eastern Box Turtle selects microhabitats to stay in that are warmer.

Species Snapshot

Eastern Box Turtles are found as far north as Maine, and as far west as Texas. They are also often found around the property at the Turtle Survival Center.

The Eastern Box Turtle faces threats of habitat destruction and fragmentation, which can lead to an increase in road and railroad mortality. Although it is now protected from commercial collection in every state in which it naturally occurs, the illegal pet trade is still a large threat to this turtle. Turtle Survival Alliance has been instrumental in advocating for changes to laws which now protect this species.