They are known for a yellow or orange blotch on each side of the head. Box turtles Box turtles are primarily terrestrial but they deserve mentioning. One female laid eggs near my pond in the mulch. The Eastern box turtle is Terrapene carolina , and the Western box turtle is Terrapene ornata . Easterns grow 4 to 8.5 inches long while Westerns grow 4 to 6 inches long and have a more ornate shell.
Box turtles get their name because they can close all of their appendages and head into their shell.
They eat many small plants and animals, preferring berries, insects, and worms. Box turtles can even eat mushrooms that would poison us. They may soak in shallow water occasionally. Females lay 3 to 8 eggs in early summer which hatch in a few months. The newborns may overwinter in the nest.