Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The three-toed box turtle (Terrapene triunguis) is a species within the genus of hinge-shelled turtles commonly referred to as box turtles. This species is native to the south-central part of the United States and is the official reptile of the state of Missouri . [ 4 ]
A 3-year study in Texas indicated that over 7,000 box turtles were taken from the wild for commercial trade. A similar study in Louisiana found that in a 41-month period, nearly 30,000 box turtles were taken from the wild for resale, many for export to Europe. Once captured, turtles are often kept in poor conditions where up to half of them die.
Collecting wild-hatched box turtles can cause irreversible damage to populations, because these turtles have a low reproductive rate, as they take a long time to find a mate. Most turtle and sea-turtle societies do not recommend the use of turtles as pets for young children despite their popularity as such.
Eastern box turtles feature a sharp, horned beak and stout limbs, and their feet are webbed only at the base. Eastern box turtles have five toes on each front leg and normally four toes on each hind leg, although some individuals may possess three toes on each hind leg. Eastern box turtles range in size from 4.5 to 8 in (11 to 20 cm) long.
[7] [18] Three species are Near Threatened: the diamondback terrapin (Maryland), the ornate box turtle (Kansas), and the common box turtle (Missouri with the three-toed subspecies, North Carolina and Tennessee with the eastern subspecies). [22] [26] [32] All the remaining state reptile species are Least Concern.
A rare species of turtle which is extinct in the wild has hatched at a zoo in Kansas. The McCord’s box turtle was born at Sedgwick County Zoo, staff announced last Friday (13 October). “This ...
According to the Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, six of the seven sea turtle species are classified as threatened or endangered due to human actions. Find a mysterious box on the beach in Texas ...
Mounting behavior in the three-toed box turtle. All turtles fertilize internally; mounting and copulation can be difficult. In many species, males have a concave plastron that interlocks with the female's carapace. In species like the Russian tortoise, the male has a lighter shell and longer legs. The high, rounded shape of box turtles are ...