Slow and steady might win the race, but for Geordi, it’s the key to winning hearts! Geordi is our Eastern Box Turtle, a species native to North America. Known for their vibrant domed shells and secretive personalities, Eastern Box Turtles like Geordi have mastered the art of camouflage. With impressive lifespans and an unparalleled ability to protect themselves, they prove that good things come in small, shelled packages.

A Hidden Gem of the Forest Floor

Eastern Box Turtles are found in a variety of habitats, including shrublands, meadows, woodlands, and the edges of forests from Maine to Florida.

Their beautifully patterned shells blend seamlessly with the underbrush, and their hinged shells—an important feature of their design—allow them to almost fully close to protect their head, limbs, and tails from predators. This defensive adaptation is why adult Eastern Box Turtles face very few natural predators.

Unlike some species of reptiles, box turtles have a few ways to tell if an individual is a male or a female. Males are slightly larger than females and have shorter claws on their back legs, along with longer, thicker tails. Females, on the other hand, have longer, straight nails on their back feet and shorter, more slender tails.

Diet: An Omnivorous Feast

The diet of an eastern box turtle changes, depending on what stage of life they are in. Early in life, until age 5 or 6, they are primarily carnivorous, consuming small animals. As they grow, they become more omnivorous (eating both meat and plants) and spend more time on land.

In the wild, their diet includes:

• Insects
• Worms
• Amphibians
• Fruits
• Fungi
• Bird eggs
• Carrion – meat from an animal that has already passed away.

At the zoo, Geordi enjoys a carefully balanced diet, including Mazuri Freshwater Turtle Diet, crickets, roaches, pinky mice, chopped trout, leafy greens, and fresh produce.

Reproduction

Female Eastern Box Turtles dig nests in sandy or loose soil, typically laying 3-8 eggs in a clutch.

The sex of the hatchlings is temperature-dependent: Nests with temperatures between 71-80°F produce males, while those above 82°F produce females.

Young box turtles are precocial, meaning they are born well-developed and can fend for themselves.

Eastern Box Turtles are polygynandrous, meaning both males and females have multiple mates. Additionally, females can store sperm for up to four years, allowing them to lay fertile eggs long after mating.

Thermoregulation: Adapting to the Environment

As ectotherms, box turtles depend on external temperatures to regulate their body heat. To warm up, they bask in the sun, and to cool down, they seek shelter under decaying logs, leaves, or in abandoned burrows.

When temperatures drop too low, Eastern Box Turtles enter brumation—an adaptation similar to hibernation—during which they burrow into the ground to conserve energy. Box turtles may burrow up to two feet underground to escape the cold. They have been known to return to the same location year after year for brumation, sometimes sharing their space with other turtles.

A Lifetime Commitment

In the wild, Eastern Box Turtles can live up to 50 years, but in human care, they may live well over 100 years. This makes adopting a box turtle a lifelong commitment—one that should never be taken lightly.

Sadly, many wild box turtles are collected illegally for the pet trade, and most do not survive long in captivity, due to improper care. Unlike pets bred for human care, wild turtles are closely tied to their native habitats and often struggle when removed from them. We always stress that box turtles are wildlife, not pets. If you encounter one in the wild, it's best to admire it from a distance. If you find one in the road and it is safe to do so, help it cross in the direction it was headed, but leave it where it belongs.

The opposite is also true for human-raised turtles. Animals raised by humans are often unable to survive on their own in the wild, and if they do, they are likely to spread illness to or outcompete the wild populations. If you do happen to have a turtle as a pet, please make sure that you do not release them into the wild, even if they are a native species. If you are unable to care for your turtle at home, please contact your local reptile rescue. This not only ensures the safety of your pet, but also the wild population of turtles that already live in your area.

If you would like to learn more about why domestic animals are the best pets for most people, check out the Not-a-Pet campaign! And remember, if you have the knowledge and means to add an Eastern Box Turtle to your family, adopt, don’t shop! There are tons of reptiles out there waiting for the right person to care for them.