T he Ornate Box Turtle is one of two turtle species on the Great Plains that are terrestrial. The Eastern Box Turtle's shell is olive drab in color, which readily distinguishes it from the complicated color pattern of the Ornate's. As you can see in the pictures above, this animal's shell does have a fancy look to it. If you happen to come across an Ornate Box Turtle, you can find out a couple of things quite easily.
Males have bright red or orange eyes.
This color is usually repeated on the front legs, face and neck. In females, the color in these areas will resemble the yellow of the stripes on the shell. A female will be slightly larger than a male of the same age, and the male's plastron will usually be slightly concave. If you look carefully at the scutes on the carapace, you will see annual growth rings. Count them up and you have a pretty good idea how many years old it is.