Eastern Box Turtle

Eastern box turtles are about 4 inches by 6 inches big and weigh less than 1.5 pounds. They have a slightly hooked “beak” on their upper mandible. Their toes are only slightly webbed.

These small turtles have a domed shell, giving them a tortoise-like appearance. Concentric growth lines can be seen on the upper part of the shell known as the carapace. Color can vary from brown with yellow markings, tan with dark brown markings, or dark brown with no markings at all.

Box turtles are named for the structure of the bottom plate of their shell, known as the plastron. Their plastron is hinged, creating a flexible plate that can swing up to cover the head, legs, and tail of the turtle. When threatened, box turtles can tuck their heads and feet in and swing their shell closed, giving them a “box” appearance.

Eastern Box Turtles can be found throughout North America south of the Great Lakes and east of the Rocky Mountains. Box turtles prefer open woodlands, pastures, and marshy meadows. They can frequently be found near streams and ponds, especially when they are younger. Despite turtles being associated with water, these turtles are not swimmers. Box turtles live an entirely terrestrial life, similar to tortoises!

Box turtles are considered omnivores, but their dietary preference changes as they age. For their first 5-6 years of life, they strongly favor a carnivorous diet. They eat snails, insects, slugs, worms, fish, frogs, and many more. As they reach adult size, their diet shifts to favor herbivorous food such as berries, roots, or flowers.

Box turtles are diurnal, but their activity depends largely on temperature regulation. In spring and fall, they can usually be seen basking in the sun and foraging throughout the day. In the summer, they are most active in the mornings and after rain, but will hide under shelter when it becomes too hot. At night, they scoop out a shallow indentation to settle down for the night.

In northern regions, where it is especially cold in the winter, eastern box turtles burrow as much as two feet underground to undergo brumation. Brumation is a process in reptiles that is very similar to mammalian hibernation.

The mating season begins in the early spring and continues through the summer. Males may mate with multiple females; however, females can lay fertile eggs for up to 4 years after one successful mating. Nests are dug out in sandy or loamy soil and covered up once the eggs are laid. Incubation can last 3 months, after which the hatchlings crawl out and are independent.

Oakland Zoo has five box turtles, three in the Reptile and Amphibian Discovery room, and two in the animal ambassador program, Turtinsky and Terra. Turtinsky is one of our oldest ambassadors and is estimated to have been born in 1978. She has lived at the zoo since 2006. In her time at the zoo she has worked hard as part of our animal ambassador team and helped many people learn about box turtles. She has seen many things and there is not much that can phase her! Terra on the other hand is a newer member of the team. She was born in 2004, but arrived at Oakland Zoo in 2024. She is bright and curious and very food motivated. Whenever she is brought out to new places, she is the first to start exploring.

You can meet Terra and Turtinsky during special Zoomobile, Wildlife Assembly, or ZooCamp programs. During these programs, kids can learn more about these animals and the habitats, adaptations, or other features that make them special. You might also get lucky on your next visit to the zoo and encounter them on a serendipitous Pathway Encounter or Wildlife Theater show.