Box turtle
| Box turtle Temporal range: Miocene - Recent, 15–0 Ma |
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| Florida box turtle, Terrapene carolina bauri | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Family: | Emydidae |
| Subfamily: | Emydinae |
| Genus: |
Terrapene Merrem, 1820 |
| Type species | |
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Terrapene carolina (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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| Species | |
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Terrapene carolina |
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| Synonyms | |
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Cistuda Fleming, 1822 |
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Terrapene carolina
Terrapene coahuila
Terrapene nelsoni
Terrapene ornata
Cistuda Fleming, 1822
Diducla Rafinesque, 1832
Pyxidemys Fitzinger, 1835
Emyoides Gray, 1844
Onychotria Gray, 1849
Pariemys Cope, 1895
Toxaspis Cope, 1895
Box turtles (also known as crescent turtles) are North American turtles of the genus Terrapene. Although box turtles are superficially similar to tortoises in terrestrial habits and overall appearance, they are actually members of the American pond turtle family (Emydidae). The twelve taxa which are distinguished in the genus are distributed over four species. They are largely characterized by having a domed shell, which is hinged at the bottom, allowing the animal to close its shell tightly to escape predators. Box turtles have become popular pets, although their needs in captivity are complex. The females usually have yellowish, brown eyes and the males usually have red or orange eyes, but the most reliable manner to distinguish males from females is to examine the plastron; on males there is a concave area centered beneath the hinge.
The genus name Terrapene was coined by Merrem in 1820 as a genus separate from Emys for those species which had a sternum which was separated into two or three divisions and which could move these parts independently. He placed in this genus amongst others Terrapene boscii (now accepted to be Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum) and Terrapene carolina (but under the name Terrapene clausa). Also several Asian box turtles have been formerly classified within the genus Terrapene: e.g. Terrapene bicolor (now Cuora amboinensis couro) and Terrapene culturalia (now Cuora flavomarginata). Currently four species are classified within the genus and twelve taxa are distinguished:
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Wikipedia