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FAUNA: The Undaunted

by Mary Parker Sonis
When I was a little girl growing up in Virginia, my weekdays were filled with school activities. We rarely left the neighborhood, and never even got into the Country Squire station wagon that my parents shared; but when the weekend came, the road adventures began.

Typically, we stopped at drive-ins for burgers and then headed out to wander the countryside and visit all the special places where wildlife was abundant. On the back roads that led to various swamps and meadows, we occasionally would see an eastern box turtle crossing the road – a very exciting find. My dad would pull to the side of the road and bring the turtle to the car for all of us to see. If the road wasn’t busy, we would all pile out to look at the turtle. After the usual exclamations of delight, there was always an entreaty: “Why can’t we keep him?” But my father would point the turtle back in the direction it was traveling, we’d sigh as it disappeared into the underbrush and off we went to our next destination.

Photo by Mary Parker Sonis

I was so enthralled by these beautiful turtles that I would sit in the back seat, week after week, staring intently out the window hoping to see that characteristic dome on any and all roads that we traveled. I rarely joined in conversation. I was intent on finding the box turtle.

Here in North Carolina, our children have this same privilege. We get to see the perseverant box turtles as they wander our roads on their way to their special destinations. We find them in our driveways or crossing grocery store parking lots. We see them in fields and on the trails. They are gentle, slow moving and determined.

The eastern box turtle is a terrestrial turtle that is more closely related to our aquatic pond turtles than to members of the tortoise family. It is the only turtle in North America that can fully close the hinge on its plastron. The Blanding’s, mud and musk turtles also have hinged plastrons, but only the box turtle can close up shop so completely to exclude predators.

Box turtles are as slow to develop as they are to move. The average box turtle does not reach sexual maturity until it is 7 to 10 years old. So, although they can live a long life, with lifespan estimates ranging from 50 to 80 years, box turtles do not replace themselves quickly, so the loss of an adult box turtle will have serious consequences on the population.

The diet of the box turtle is varied and omnivorous. They enjoy earthworms and insects but also have a healthy appetite for fruits and vegetables. I have noticed that they are especially fond of red fruits – people with tomatoes in their gardens often find large chunks missing from tomatoes that are within reach of the foraging box turtle.

I am often asked how to determine the sex of a box turtle. Most males have bright red eyes, while females have brown eyes. However, this is not always true, so it is good to check the plastron shape as well. The female box turtle has a completely flat plastron, whereas the male has an indented plastron. This concave shape allows the male to fit over the female during mating. Finally, the dome height of the female carapace is higher than that of the male, presumably making room for the eggs that the females carry. Tail length and width differ between males and females as well.

Here in North Carolina, the box turtle can live in a variety of habitats, but its ideal home is a forested area with good soil drainage, plenty of leaf litter and no roads anywhere in the vicinity. Cars are the biggest threat to box turtles, with thousands killed crossing roads and highways every year. Box turtles living in forests that are fragmented by large roads are the most vulnerable. Box turtles spend their lives in an area about the size of a football field. They have a homing ability, and will return to their territory no matter where they are relocated. Quite often, the turtle lives in a territory that will be subject to road development, but this will never deter the box turtle from returning to a favored spot; if the turtle has to cross six lanes, it will do so. If you see a box turtle crossing a road and have the ability to safely do so, pull over and help the turtle cross in the direction it is traveling.

Some people kindly wish to find turtles found on roads a better home. So they put the turtle in their car and bring him to a wonderful new habitat free of roads. But this won’t work – the relocated turtle will wander in search of his old home, even crossing state lines.

I admire this determination, this sense of purpose. I once arrived a little late to rescue a turtle from the opposite side of the road on which I was traveling. The driver on the other side of the road did not understand my frantic arm waving, and ran over the very end of the turtle’s shell with his car. The turtle flipped a few times on the road, but his shell remained intact, and he was OK. After a few seconds, he popped his head out, looked around a bit and continued walking to his destination.

You might be wondering the same thing that I did as a youngster: Why can’t we keep him? Thousands of turtles are taken from the wild each year in North Carolina, and most of these turtles will die. An adult box turtle taken into a home will not be part of the breeding population. Before reproducing, the box turtle must survive at least seven years of highway crossings, attacks by hungry raccoons and foxes, bulldozer and lawn mower mishaps and, finally, the well-meaning intentions of people who want a quiet pet. Their care is time-consuming and complex, and as a result, most captive box turtles do not survive.

During my high school and college years, I lived in the North, and no matter where I drove, I saw not one box turtle crossing my path. Box turtles are a rare find in most of the northeast, and I often drove through beautiful rural areas hoping to see that iconic domed shell. I missed them. After many years of wandering, I settled in Carrboro. As I drive along Greensboro Street, I often stop to allow a box turtle to cross the road. The Country Squire station wagon is long gone, but its passenger is home.

7 replies on “FAUNA: The Undaunted”

Fabulous story! I learned so much from your article. Curious as to what type of turtle does live in Pennsylvania. Growing up I remember seeing huge turtles near our house in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania has plenty of Pond turtles that grow quite large…but when you use the word “huge” I can’t help but think of the monster sized Snapping Turtles that grow to be about the size of a trash can lid. Pennsylvania is also home to Pond Sliders and Painted Turtles. You will frequently see them basking on logs on sunny days. Glad you liked the story!

This is a wonderful story and full of great information. Oh how I wish humanity would give our precious wildlife the break it so deserves. Your story is testament to how much we need and love all creatures great and small.

Wow! This is a truly evocative, seductively educational story…AND moral, too! Mary Parker Sonis, you’ve hit the trifecta!
I am going to share this with my 10 year old, who loves to read and adores animals…and, yes, still can’t understand why I don’t let her bring in the backyard chipmunks or cage the carpenter ants that wander indoors.
Thank you!

Anahi, I understand how your daughter feels. When I was ten I longed to have a pet chipmunk in the house too!

I’ve enjoyed your other columns very much; this one is the best so far. Thank you helping me see the world around us more clearly.

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