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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 ]
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.
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.
Common box turtles are official state reptiles of three U.S. states. North Carolina and Tennessee honor the eastern box turtle, [14] [15] [16] Kansas adopted the ornate box turtle in 1986. [17] [18] In Pennsylvania, the eastern box turtle made it through one house of the legislature, but failed to win final naming in 2009. [19]
[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.
This is a checklist of American reptiles found in Northern America, based primarily on publications by the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR). [1] [2] [3] It includes all species of Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and the United States including recently introduced species such as chameleons, the Nile monitor, and the Burmese python.
The ranges of some 34 salamander species, 15 species of frogs and toads, 21 species of snakes, 13 turtle species, and 6 lizard species extend into some portion of the state. Two of these — the Cheat Mountain salamander and West Virginia spring salamander — are endemic to West Virginia.
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.