Subject: Eastern Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina.

Location: Upshur County, West Virginia

Stock Number: 06-25999

Comment: Box turtles reach sexual maturity at age ten and often live to age fifty or beyond. Some have even surpassed one hundred years of age.

In many areas these turtles are flourishing, particularly in hilly, rich, moist woods. In other areas they are threatened by the habitat destruction that accompanies development, and by numerous deaths along highways and roads.

In the northern part of their range eastern box turtles hibernate from about October to April. The hibernacula may be a groundhog hole, or the turtle may dig a new burrow up to two feet deep. Some box turtles overwinter below streams. The turtle in this photo has just emerged from hibernation and still has some mud about his face.