They are often encountered after rains, walking slowly across the forest floor. Females have brown eyes and a flat plastron.
Box turtles are true omnivores, feeding on a variety of plants and small animals.
Their trademark is a hinge on the front part of the plastron allowing the turtle to close up very tightly. This feature provides great protection from raccoons, foxes and other predators. This information is provided as a public service by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Outreach office.