Three-toed box turtle - 5/22/2016 - Newcastle, Oklahoma United States
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member vulture1957
N 35° 14.810 W 097° 38.355
14S E 623800 N 3901264
land tortoise saved crossing road on Hwy 130 Newcastle OK on 5/22/2016. 07:50 am.
Waymark Code: WMR7F6
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 05/22/2016
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member lumbricus
Views: 4

Three toed box turtle. Medium sized, about 6 inches long. A land tortoise, common to this area. It was found on Sunday morning, 5/22/2016 on my way to pick up Scouts at camp.

From OK Wildlife Dept web site:

Three-toed Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis)

This is one of only two land-dwelling turtles in Oklahoma. The adults are relatively small and grow to a length of five or six inches. Three-toed Box Turtles are typically found in forested areas, woodlands, forest edges and thickets, and they are found across the eastern half of the state. They are active during the day and hunt or search for insects, earthworms, snails, fungi and fallen fruits at ground level. Their skin color is primarily brown, but some adults, especially the males, may have white, yellow, orange or red spots and blotches on their front legs, necks and heads. The sex of many adults can be determined by examining the eye color. Adult males normally have red to orange eyes, while the females’ eyes are normally brown to yellow. Box turtles have high, dome-shaped shells that are usually a medium brown color. The shells may be plain, or they may have some black or yellow markings. The feet of the box turtle are stout and used for digging and walking on land. The hind feet of most individuals have only three toes (instead of four) and this is the origin of their common name. A box turtle has the ability to pull its head, neck and legs completely into its shell when threatened or disturbed. Box turtles are long-lived but have a low reproductive rate and a poor ability to move long distances. Because of this, box turtle populations can become locally depleted if heavily harvested or captured. In Oklahoma, it is lawful to keep box turtles as pets, however, it is unlawful to sell or trade box turtles commercially. Box turtles have a specialized diet and are relatively difficult to keep in captivity; therefore we do not recommend that they be kept as pets.

Species Link: [Web Link]

How often turtles cross:

Months most seen crossing: May/Jun

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