Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene carolina carolina (Linnaeus, 1758)    Synonyms: Common Box Turtle.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Chordata   >   Class Reptilia   >   Order Testudines   >   Family Emydidae   >   Genus Terrapene   

Status:

The colorful and charismatic Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is the most terrestrial species of turtle in Maryland. While bearing a superficial resemblance to true tortoises (family Testudinidae), box turtles are actually classified in the large pond turtle family Emydidae. Box turtles typically are found in open woodlands, but can also occur in fields, meadows, or wetland edges. They are quite well-protected against predators, with a hinge on the plastron that allows the turtle to tightly seal its shell from most attackers (Conant & Collins, 1998). These turtles may wander quite widely, and are frequent victims of collisions with cars while attempting to cross roadways. Eastern Box Turtle occurs statewide in Maryland (Maryland DNR website).

There are 3,260 records in the project database.

View taxon at iNaturalist

View taxon at NatureServe

Search Google Images

Search MBP Facebook posts (beta | requires login)


[View seasonality details]
GA AL WA FR CL MO HO BA BC HA CE PG AA CV CH SM KE QA CN TA DO WI SO WO 
A female Eastern Box Turtle in Cecil Co., Maryland (6/9/2015). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

Two Eastern Box Turtles, illustrating color variation, in Howard Co., Maryland (6/17/2015). Photo by Richard Orr. (MBP list)

An Eastern Box Turtle in Cecil Co., Maryland (5/31/2008). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

An Eastern Box Turtle in Cecil Co., Maryland (9/5/2014). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

An Eastern Box Turtle in Charles Co., Maryland (6/23/2018). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/18/2021). (c) Holly J., some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by hollyjaro via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

An Eastern Box Turtle in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (5/4/2017). Photo by Amanda Spears. (MBP list)

An Eastern Box Turtle in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (6/23/2013). Photo by Benjamin DeHaven. (MBP list)

An Eastern Box Turtle in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/4/2017). Photo by Justin Lee. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (6/17/2006). (c) Bill Hubick, all rights reserved. Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

An Eastern Box Turtle in Washington Co., Maryland (6/29/2019). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Maryland (6/23/2023). (c) rnyalko, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by rnyalko via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (6/9/2022). (c) dansmall, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Dan Small. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Prince George's Co., Maryland (6/27/2020). (c) Sergei Drovetski, all rights reserved. Photo by Sergei Drovetski. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (6/23/2015). Photo by Bill Harms. (MBP list)

An Eastern Box Turtle in Harford Co., Maryland (5/13/2018). Photo by Dave Webb. (MBP list)

A hatchling Eastern Box Turtle in Maryland (1/8/2003). Per Mark: "This one was a day old when this photo was taken, hatched in an incubator at my house. A female laid eggs out in the middle of my niece's lawn on the 4th of July, 2007. Many of these guys are killed by lawn mowers when they hatch and dig out in similar circumstances, so we decided to give these a fighting chance. There were three altogether, all eventually released in the woods close by." Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/4/2013). (c) Stephen John Davies, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Stephen John Davies via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Cecil Co., Maryland (10/15/2021). (c) tomfeild, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Tom Feild. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Montgomery Co., Maryland (8/11/2023). No rights reserved. Photo by jdshide via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Baltimore Co., Maryland (9/18/2020). (c) Bud Poole, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Bud Poole via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A juvenile Eastern Box Turtle in Allegany Co., Maryland (5/1/2005). Photo by Jim Stasz. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Caroline Co., Maryland (4/30/2021). (c) Adkins Arboretum, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Adkins Arboretum via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A juvenile Eastern Box Turtle in Allegany Co., Maryland (5/1/2005). Photo by Jim Stasz. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtles mating in Howard Co., Maryland (5/13/2014). Photo by Nancy Magnusson. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtles mating in Howard Co., Maryland (5/13/2014). Photo by Nancy Magnusson. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/6/2017). (c) Paul G., some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Paul G. via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Montgomery Co., Maryland (9/6/2017). (c) Paul G., some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Paul G. via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Juvenile Eastern Box Turtles in Calvert Co., Maryland (4/3/2023). (c) dragonflygirl2, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by dragonflygirl2 via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Maryland (3/15/2020). (c) Nathaniel Schwartz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND). Photo by Nathaniel Schwartz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Baltimore Co., Maryland (9/18/2020). (c) Bud Poole, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Bud Poole via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Howard Co., Maryland (7/3/2021). (c) Lisa Marini, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Lisa Marini via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

An Eastern Box Turtle in Howard Co., Maryland (5/11/2019). Photo by Sue Muller. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Howard Co., Maryland (5/4/2020). (c) severinus, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by severinus via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (8/17/2021). (c) lbhall, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by lbhall via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Eastern Box Turtle in Baltimore Co., Maryland (8/13/2023). (c) Carl R. Gold, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by crgkoko via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

An Eastern Box Turtle in Charles Co., Maryland (6/21/2020). Photo by Julie Simpson. (MBP list)


View All Images

Use of images featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.