The Life of Animals | Box turtle | All box turtles have a highly domed carapace. The plastral formula (size relation the between the scales) varies the between species, but the order of the largest three anal scutes is abdominal gular in all species. Based on morphological characteristics, two distinct lineages can be distinguished: the ornata nelsoni lineage as well as the zeta Coahuila cluster. The ornata cluster is the smallests nelsoni (maximum carapace lengths of 14-15 cm), while the other cluster is larger (with Tcmajor with a carapace length of 20 cm).
The survivorship curve of box turtles is therefore Probably similar to That of other long-living turtles. The average life span of adult box turtles is 50 years, while a significant proportion lives over 100 years. The age of a growing box turtle in the wild can be roughly estimated by counting the growth rings on the scutes; the Plastron is the best place to do this Because it also allows examination of wear patterns.
Box turtle eggs are flexible, and are oblong (Depending on the taxon) 2-4 cm long on average 5-11 g. Weighing The normal clutch size is 1-7 eggs. Turtles can defend themselves from predation by hiding, closing Their shell and biting. Mammals are common predators like minks, skunks, raccoons, dogs and rodents, but also birds (eg crows, Ravens) and snakes (eg racers, cottonmouths) are known to kill box turtles
Because box turtles occupy a wide variety of habitats (which Both Vary on a day-to-day, season-to-season, but also species-to-species basis), a standard box turtle habitat can not be Identified. Mesic woodlands are a habitat where box turtles are Generally found. ornata is the only species regularly found in grasslands, but its subspecies the desert box turtle is also found in the semidesert with rainfall predominantly in summer. Prior to hibernation, box turtles Further growing niche to move into the woods, where They dig a chamber for overwintering. Ornate box turtles dig chambers up to 50 centimeters, while the Eastern box turtles hibernate at depth of about 10 centimeters.
Others box turtles in higher temperatures are more active (Tcyukatana) or only active During the wet seasons Box turtles Appeared "abruptly in the fossil record, essentially in modern form". The oldest finds of fossilized box turtles were the resource persons found in Nebraska (U.S.), date from about 15 million years before present (in the Miocene) and the aquatic species resemble T. Coahuila most, the which indicates That the common ancestor was also an aquatic species.
