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Florida box turtle
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Florida box turtle
The Florida box turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri) is a subspecies of turtle belonging to the family Emydidae and is one of six extant subspecies of the common box turtle (T. carolina)
The subspecific name, bauri, is in honor of German herpetologist Georg Baur.
Of the four subspecies of the common box turtle, the Florida box turtle has the southernmost range. It is endemic to the U.S. state of Florida and the extreme southeastern portion of Georgia. Its distribution is widespread throughout Florida's mainland and has also been observed in the Florida Keys and the barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico off of Florida's western coast.
The Florida box turtle can be found in damp environments such as wetlands, marshlands, and near swamps but usually does not enter water deep enough to swim. It is often found in the flatwoods, upland, and mesophytic hammock but is generally absent in the high pine. Within these habitats, juveniles prefer areas that contain dense cover, high amounts of leaf litter, and moist soil. Adults are more flexible in their habitat requirements and have been observed in more open areas.
Like other box turtles, the Florida box turtle has a narrow and highly domed shell with a hinged plastron that allows it to close its shell tightly. However, the Florida box turtle is different in appearance from the other subspecies of Terrapene carolina. Its carapace has a distinct pattern of yellow stripes that make it easily identifiable. The coloring of the plastron can vary anywhere from solid yellow to solid black, with any number of variations in between. This turtle has sharp claws as well as a sharp beak used for catching small insects and eating fruits, vegetables, and fungi.
The Florida box turtle exhibits significant sexual dimorphism. On average, males are larger (length and width) than females. The carapace length of females ranges from 12.1 - 15.8 cm while the average male carapace can be anywhere from 12.8 - 17.3 cm long. However, female carapaces tend to be taller than those of males. This is most likely to allow more space to accommodate eggs inside the body cavity.
Like many other box turtle species, the Florida box turtle spends an extreme majority of its life (80-90%) buried in the underbrush or underground, and their activity varies significantly at different times of the year. During the dry, cool parts of the year (November - February) they enter a dormant stage and are inactive and difficult to find. They exhibit higher levels of activity during the warm, wet months (April - October). However, unlike other species of box turtle, the Florida box turtle does not actually enter a complete state of brumation during this time of year. This is most likely due to the warm and stable temperatures throughout its Florida range. As a result, it exhibits longer annual activity than other box turtle species. It is less tolerant to colder conditions than other common box turtle subspecies.
The Florida box turtle is a generalist omnivore with a diet similar to other box turtle subspecies. Its most common food sources include gastropod species and fleshy, low-hanging fruits. They also consume leafy vegetation (shrubs, herb, grasses, etc.), insects, crustaceans, and fungi. They have even been observed feeding on carrion and garbage.
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Florida box turtle
The Florida box turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri) is a subspecies of turtle belonging to the family Emydidae and is one of six extant subspecies of the common box turtle (T. carolina)
The subspecific name, bauri, is in honor of German herpetologist Georg Baur.
Of the four subspecies of the common box turtle, the Florida box turtle has the southernmost range. It is endemic to the U.S. state of Florida and the extreme southeastern portion of Georgia. Its distribution is widespread throughout Florida's mainland and has also been observed in the Florida Keys and the barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico off of Florida's western coast.
The Florida box turtle can be found in damp environments such as wetlands, marshlands, and near swamps but usually does not enter water deep enough to swim. It is often found in the flatwoods, upland, and mesophytic hammock but is generally absent in the high pine. Within these habitats, juveniles prefer areas that contain dense cover, high amounts of leaf litter, and moist soil. Adults are more flexible in their habitat requirements and have been observed in more open areas.
Like other box turtles, the Florida box turtle has a narrow and highly domed shell with a hinged plastron that allows it to close its shell tightly. However, the Florida box turtle is different in appearance from the other subspecies of Terrapene carolina. Its carapace has a distinct pattern of yellow stripes that make it easily identifiable. The coloring of the plastron can vary anywhere from solid yellow to solid black, with any number of variations in between. This turtle has sharp claws as well as a sharp beak used for catching small insects and eating fruits, vegetables, and fungi.
The Florida box turtle exhibits significant sexual dimorphism. On average, males are larger (length and width) than females. The carapace length of females ranges from 12.1 - 15.8 cm while the average male carapace can be anywhere from 12.8 - 17.3 cm long. However, female carapaces tend to be taller than those of males. This is most likely to allow more space to accommodate eggs inside the body cavity.
Like many other box turtle species, the Florida box turtle spends an extreme majority of its life (80-90%) buried in the underbrush or underground, and their activity varies significantly at different times of the year. During the dry, cool parts of the year (November - February) they enter a dormant stage and are inactive and difficult to find. They exhibit higher levels of activity during the warm, wet months (April - October). However, unlike other species of box turtle, the Florida box turtle does not actually enter a complete state of brumation during this time of year. This is most likely due to the warm and stable temperatures throughout its Florida range. As a result, it exhibits longer annual activity than other box turtle species. It is less tolerant to colder conditions than other common box turtle subspecies.
The Florida box turtle is a generalist omnivore with a diet similar to other box turtle subspecies. Its most common food sources include gastropod species and fleshy, low-hanging fruits. They also consume leafy vegetation (shrubs, herb, grasses, etc.), insects, crustaceans, and fungi. They have even been observed feeding on carrion and garbage.
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