Desert box turtle, Terrapene ornata luteola (Smith & Ramsey, 1952) Males will be sexually active from the time they emerge from hibernation until September or October. For this reason you might want to consider a large Rubbermaid tub for housing as opposed to a small aquarium. [8], Box turtles in North America are increasingly becoming a conservation concern because of habitat loss and because they are being harvested for the pet trade. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians and Reptiles, Third Edition. The desert box turtles burrow themselves into the ground for about 35 cm with their hind sticking out. For this reason you’ll need to provide some sort of heat for your turtle. It will search under cow dung to find insects such as beetles. If you are interested to have it as a pet, ensure that you can perform the complex maintenance. Desert box turtles make interesting pets and many people enjoy watching them and learning their habits. 217. Plus, they are notorious for returning to their site of origin and have very small home ranges where they exhibit high fidelity and used it as overwintering sites. Based on a fossil found in 2008 they’ve existed for 200 to 250 million years. Vol 34: No. Baby ornate box turtles are very similar to desert box turtles. Box turtles are most active in morning and evening. They attain a 5-month dormancy until they emerge and become active again. The desert box turtle is only active in the summer months when the humidity is very high. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -- - - - - - - -, Yunnan box turtle, Cuora yunnanensis As the population of dung beetles’ decreases, the number of box turtles decreases with it as well. The desert tortoise shares such extreme conditions of their habitat that no other tortoise in America does. Western box turtle eggs are eaten by many predators, since they are laid on land and left alone. Germano, David J. [2] The destruction of prairies due to land renovations has led to the decline of the desert box turtles (Terrapene ornata luteola) across much of their geographical range. Lasting several months, this feeds the turtle as it grows and develops. Smith,H.M. It lives in desert grasslands/shrublands and may face a drier, more severe environment compared with other box turtles in North America. [3], The box turtle also has the ability to create a tight seal by closing the plastron upward to fit snugly against the carapace through a movable hinge between its pectoral and abdominal structures assuring the closure of the shell (Figure 1). Biol., 10 (1): 45-54, Iverson, J. In the tropics they are eaten by crocodiles, alligators and caimans, which crunch through their shells and gulp them down. Phylum:Chordata Subphylum:Vertebrata Not all pet owners keep their commitments to their pets and give them up for adoption. The pack instinct makes a group of dogs capable of things that the individuals might never consider. - T. carolina putnami (extinct) [2] Male desert box turtles are normally sexually mature by the time they are 8–9 years of age, but in captivity have been known to breed as young at the age 2. Remember: have the turtle’s home set-up before you bring him home. Desert box turtles can dig under enclosures and even climb so if you house your turtle outside it needs to be secure. It’s important that any outdoor area needs to be protected from predators such as dogs. (2011) Terrapene ornata. Attempted Predation. Reptilia (GB) (32): 12-18. [3], Other characteristics include a continuous middorsal yellow line on its carapace and the plastron is solid brown with yellow spots and has mottling on its head and legs. Vol 38: No. One is patterned and the other is unpatterned. They can also be found in northern Mexico as far south as Sonora and Chihuahua. 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