Terepene carolina carolina
The Eastern box turtle is the designated state reptile of North Carolina and is found throughout the state. They have high-domed carapaces (top shell), and hinged plastrons (bottom shell) which allows them to pull their legs and head into their shell, like closing a box. They are tan to dark brown and have oblong patterns on their shell that can be yellow, orange, or olive. An interesting trait specific to box turtles is that you can guess whether they are male or female by their eye color — males have red or orange irises and females have yellow or brown irises. Eastern box turtles can be found in moist forested areas, meadows, pastures and floodplains. If a box turtle’s habitat remains constant, they could spend their entire life in an area barely larger than a football field. Their diet consists of earthworms, slugs, mushrooms, and they are particularly fond of strawberries. While it is possible for Eastern box turtles to live for over 100 years, the average lifespan is around 50 years.
Mayberry
Date of Birth: Unknown
Like Red, Mayberry was born in the wild and also came to the Nature Center in 2012. Mayberry was run over by a lawnmower and because of that she has a permanent scar on the top of her shell.
What Makes Mayberry Unique? Mayberry is the shyer of the two education box turtles. While we do not know her exact age, by counting the rings on a single scute, we can estimate her age to be in her 20’s.
Red
Date of Birth: Unknown
Red was born in the wild, and came to the WNC Nature Center in October of 2009. Red was run over by a car and brought to the Nature Center to be rehabilitated.
What Makes Red Unique? Red is the bolder of the two education box turtles, and he also has metal sutures in the bottom of his shell as a permanent reminder of how he came to us. Red also has bold red eyes, the stereotypical male box turtle characteristic for which he was named.
