People who'll recoil from other reptiles will take to box turtles. Box turtles even have qualities we admire, such as the persistence and perseverance of the famous tortoise in Aesop's Fable. Mother nature seems to have applied this principle to turtles. The fossil record tells us that turtles have been on earth some 200 million years, and in that time have changed little. Box turtles won't win any races.
Box turtles differ from other turtles in several ways.
Their high, domed shells and unwebbed feet are adapted for life on land, not water. But to discover the unique feature from which box turtles get their name, you have to turn them over. The bottom shell, known s the plastron, is equipped with a hinge. The turtle's head, tail and limbs are pulled inside - as if enclosed in a box. They are a forest species, although they may also be found along forest edges and brushy fields.