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Many turtles hibernate from March to November, entering a period of dormancy called brumation. Less daylight hours and colder nighttime temperatures trigger this cycle, but it is a little more ...
The age of a growing box turtle in the wild cannot be accurately estimated by counting the growth rings on the scutes; Their growth is directly affected by the amount of food, types of food, water, illness, and more. Box turtle eggs are flexible, oblong and are (depending on the taxon) on average 2–4 cm long weighing 5-11 g.
The western swamp turtle aestivates to survive hot summers in the ephemeral swamps it lives in. It buries itself in various media which change depending on location and available substrates. [ 14 ] Because the species is critically endangered, the Perth Zoo began a conservation and breeding program for it.
Northern map turtles spend the winter under water and do not surface to breathe, especially when ice cover makes this impossible. Adults rest on the bottom or wedged underneath rocks or logs and often hibernate communally with other northern map turtles where they may remain somewhat active throughout the entirety of the winter. [9]
The semi-aquatic turtles that spend some time in the water, some on land, tend to have webbed feet with claws, while the fully aquatic marine turtles have flippers – and they can swim fast.
The ornate box turtle is a relatively small turtle, measuring just 4-6″ (10-15 cm) when full-grown. Males and females generally look alike but males are often smaller; there is color variation with yellow lines from the center of the shell to the edges through gray, red-brown, or black coloration. [7]
During colder weather, the wood turtle stays in the water for a larger percentage of the time. [20] For this reason, during the winter months (and the late fall and early spring) it is considered an aquatic turtle. [4] November through February or March is spent in hibernation at the bottom of a small, flowing river.
The box turtle has a distinctive hinged lower shell that allows it to completely enclose itself, like a box. Its upper jaw is hooked. The turtle is primarily terrestrial and eats a wide variety of plants and animals. The females lay their eggs in the summer. Turtles in the northern part of their range hibernate over the winter.