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Hot: 21 to 35 °C
Cold: -3 to 4 °C
1K to 4.50K USD
1 to 10 PSI
Jump: 0.2-0.4 Feet
Run: 0-0 Miles per hour (0.3-0.4 km/h)
Swimming: 1-1 Miles per hour (1-2 km/h)
Animal Type: Omnivores
As a member of the genus Terrapene, the American box turtle can look back on a long and illustrious evolutionary history. The distinctive hinged plastron of these North American turtles enables them to encase themselves entirely in their shells, providing them with an extra layer of protection. Their protective adaption has been a key factor in their survival for countless generations.
According to fossils, some fifteen million years ago, in the Miocene period, the predecessors of current box turtles appeared. A more extensive family of turtles, the Emydidae, includes these early box turtles. Fossil evidence from all around North America traces the evolutionary tree of box turtles, showing how they adapted over time to live in a variety of settings, from forests to prairies.
As an omnivore, box turtles eat a variety of foods, including plants and animals. Insects, worms, snails, berries, mushrooms, and many kinds of plants make up their food. Turtles eat mostly plants as they become older, but they eat more meat while they are younger. In the early and late afternoon, they engage in vigorous foraging, using their excellent sense of smell to find food. Additionally, their nutrition is impacted by seasonal fluctuations, since certain foods become accessible at different periods of the year.
Male box turtles will often bite and circle females as part of their complex courting rituals. Matrimony is most common in the warmer months of spring and summer, and the ability of females to retain sperm for an extended period means that viable eggs may be laid even after mating.