Of all the yard critters that we encounter, box turtles are favorites. They often become pets of sorts when we offer them treats, and if done regularly, they can become demanding. Stories of turtles waiting at the back door or even looking into the house “asking” for attention are not uncommon. We humans are trainable that way. Cute names are often assigned.
Besides becoming a yard pet, their lives are quite interesting and entertaining based on their behaviors. But what do they do and where do they go and live when we are not watching? In the case of the northern Gulf Coast (Louisiana to Florida), our turtles are assigned to the subspecies called Gulf Coast Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina major).
As the subspecies name implies, our turtles are the largest of the eastern box turtles, reaching upwards of 8 inches in length. Their shells are domed shaped with varying patterns of brown and yellow blotching or spots. The common name box turtle reflects the ability of the animal to pull in all four legs and its head and tail and close both ends of its bottom shell (the plastron). Unlike other turtles, the plastron is hinged, allowing it to close like a box, making it hard for predators to get at them.
They are hardy critters, living as long as 40 years, with the oldest reported individual reaching 100 years of age. They prefer to live near water, including fresh and brackish tidal marshes. They are omnivorous, feeding on a combination of plant and animal material. They feed on insects of all kinds, snails, slugs, and other critters that they can catch. They are faster than we realize. They also eat a variety of plant material including berries and other fruits and are partial to mushrooms.
As for behaviors that make them fun to watch, they can be aggressive to one another and their mating activities are, well, out in the open. Males are quite territorial and will attempt to run off a usurper, often by pushing the intruder around until it leaves. It is not uncommon to find two turtles jousting in the leaves with one pushing the other onto it’s back to prove a point. When mating, the males will mount the female from the rear and, once coupled, fall backwards, still connected. They may stay that way for some time.
The fun part of watching box turtles is that they can be recognized as individuals based on the distinct patterns on their shells and can usually be sexed. Males tend to have red eyes, when you can see them, and longer tails (hard to judge without a female to compare). But in most cases, males have a concave surface on their plastrons (bottom shell) that helps them mount females, at least until they fall backwards.
The patterns of blotches and sutures across the top and bottom parts of any turtle are unique to that turtle (like fingerprints) making them easy to identify. So, you can call out your turtles by name when they show up at your doorstep, demanding attention. They really do not need supplemental food, but it does not hurt them to give them a treat of fruit or greens.
What does hurt them is taking a turtle from its home territory and bringing it to another. If you are one of us that will stop in the road (safely) to move a box turtle to the side, please do not take it with you. It is best to just help it get to the “other” side, that is part of its home territory. It knows where it is.
So, go ahead and give your turtles names and have fun watching their antics.
Hope to see you in our great outdoors!