An Eastern Box Turtle crossed my path as I drove out of the Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge yesterday. It was a small but colorful turtle that moved very slowly, allowing me to circle it and take the following shots. It was the smallest adult turtle that I have ever seen, measuring about 5 in (12 cm).
Eastern Box Turtle, a female from the color of the eyes. Males would have red eyes.
Eastern Box Turtle.
Eastern Box Turtle.
Eastern Box Turtles often get run over by cars, and are now classified as vulnerable. People (children) also like to have them as pets because they are small and colorful, but they require good care in order to survive.
neihtn 
Oh isn’t she gorgeous … awful to think they get run over!
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She’s a beauty! These turtles get run over if people drive too fast and are not looking at the road.
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Wow, so colorful! And so small! I remember rescuing a Snapper (carefully!) that was crossing a highway in New Jersey one Spring day, years ago. I’m glad you saw this little one, and were able to photograph it.
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This one was really small, looking like a big pebble on the road. Its colors made it really visible though. Speed limit on that road is 10 MPH.
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That goes to show what a difference a lower speed limit can make.
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It’s good to see a younger box turtle for a change, and of course, you photographed it very well. I see a few of them in Michigan, but they are usually older ones that are back in the vegetation that they feed on, so I seldom have a clear view of them.
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Thanks Jerry! This was a first for me, and this happened to be a very colorful one.
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They look like they have plenty of personality (or maybe appearances are deceptive and they are dull pets), colourful anyway! I am glad you didn’t run this chap over.
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In general these turtles are very slow and as a result may appear lacking in personality. Their colors make up for that, but when they are kept as pets they may lose their colors, becoming duller.
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Isn’t it just one of the cutest things you’ve ever seen! Being a “turtle” I suppose it would normally be seen in the water, Hien?
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These turtles actually live on the forest floor. If placed in water they may drown!
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That’s most interesting, thanks Hien!
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Your first capture is so cute! I’ve never come across one as yet, I hope some day.
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These are cute turtles, tiny and colorful. I hope you’ll see them one of these days.
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Super-adorable 😍
Ciao
Sid
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Thank you Sid!
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That’s a very sweet turtle. I don’t think we have them in the UK, but we do have terrapins which can be tiny (and get large, but not huge).
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They only exist in the Eastern states of the US, hence their names. We also have Diamondback Terrapins, which are much larger in comparison.
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Excellent.
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Thank you!
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What a pretty, sweet thing – so glad you saw her! Did you escort her to the side of the road?
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I was tempted to help her, but I did not want her to be too scared. So I just parked the car and waited for her. When she was near the other side of the road, I left.
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You were her guardian angel. 🙂
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Oh she is beautiful. I hope she has a long and healthy life.
(We have issues here, where children keep small turtles as “pets” but then later release them when they get too big to keep at home. It’s terrible for the poor turtle, but also it disturbs the balance of the natural environment. It’s an ongoing challenge…)
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Only one state, South Carolina, allows these turtles to be captured and sold as pets. In the wild, they can live very long, 100 years, but in captivity as pets, who knows. They don’t grow to be more than 10 inches long (25 cm).
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So cute! I love the first one especially. 🙂
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She had her neck out in that first one. When I got closer she took a defensive stance.
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I can see how it would easily be run over, being so small and hard for a driver to see. So pretty!
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Fortunately I was driving very slow. All I saw was a dot from the distance!
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So small and adorable. 😊
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She was indeed!
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That first photo, especially, is wonderful. You can really tell how small it is.
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Thanks Lois! It was a nice surprise! Thankfully, I was driving no more than 10 MPH!
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