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Eastern Box Turtle
Especially after a rain, females can be seen emerging from wooded areas to dig flask-shaped nest cavities in soft soil or open grassy spots.
Clutches of 2-9 eggs are deposited and covered, and the surface is meticulously tamped and obscured from predators.
If all goes well, eggs hatch in August and the hatchlings emerge from their nests to fend for themselves. Hatchlings are rounder than adults with a soft, flexible gray-black carapace that hardens with time. They are also noticeably stinky when handled.
Human hazards
Adult box turtles are sometimes attacked by predators, but lawn mowers and automobiles are a bigger threat. Predation is most common on eggs, especially within 24 hours after they are deposited, and on hatchlings when they first emerge from the nest. Predators of eggs and hatchlings include raccoons, skunks, and a variety of birds and snakes.
Individual box turtles have recognizable home ranges where they carry out most of their activities, including reproduction.
Home ranges vary in size from a fraction of an acre to twenty or more acres and a single area may support many turtles, each with its own distinct range.
Turtles can remember their home ranges and recognize various physical landmarks within them.
Studies have shown that turtles moved from their homes, even to unfamiliar ter
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