Ornate Box Turtle Fact Sheet

Class:
Reptilia
Order:
Testudines
Family:
Emydidae
Genus:
Terrapene
Species:
ornata
Life span:
30 – 40 years
Egg Gestation:
Females lay 3 – 8 eggs several times a year
ncubation normally lasts 3 months
Number of young at birth:
3 – 8
Age of maturity:
8 – 10 years
Size:
Males are slightly larger than females. Average shell length is about 2 – 6 in. long
Weight:
0.5 – 1.5 lbs.
Description:
The turtle’s shell does have a fancy look to it. Each shell segment (scute) has a radiating pattern of yellow lines on a dark brown background.
Habitat: Open woodlands, pastures, and marshy meadows
Range: Eastern United States ranging from southern Maine to Florida along the East Coast, and west to Michigan, Illinois, eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Diet: Snails, insects, berries, fungi, slugs, worms, roots, flowers, fish, frogs, salamanders, snakes, birds, and eggs

 

Fun Fact:

  • Strictly terrestrial turtles

 

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