Box turtles are terrestrial (land) turtles and live in meadows and woodland areas. The only time they go into the water is when they need to cool off because it is warm outside or if they need a drink of water.

Their shells are designed to live on land. Since box turtles can’t swim like sea turtles can, their source of protection is the ability to completely close themselves inside their high, domed shells and seal inside like a little box. Box turtles have a hinge on their plastron (bottom shell) that allows them to completely seal up inside their “box.”

Box turtles are omnivores, meaning they eat fruits, vegetables and meat, like berries, plants and earthworms. The way you can tell a male box turtle from a female box turtle are by the color of their eyes. Males have reddish-orange eyes and females have brown eyes.

A big threat for box turtles is the illegal pet trade. Many people think it is ok to have a box turtle as a pet, but they are very hard to take care of and they can live a long time.