Box Turtle in Our Yard

Box Turtle (1)I was surprised to see a Box Turtle in our yard a few days ago. We don’t see them in our woods very often.According to http://www.boxturtles.com/ there are 4 species of box turtles and this one is a Common Box Turtle.

Box Turtle (3)The box turtle can be recognized by its domed shell, which is hinged at the bottom, making it possible for the turtle to close its shell tightly to keep predators out.

Box Turtle (4)I was surprised to learn what box turtles eat in the wild:

snails, spiders, earthworms, caterpillars, grasshoppers, carrion (even big carrion from mammals, birds and amphibians), fallen fruit (often over-ripe or rotten), berries, flowers, grass.

Box Turtle (5)I haven’t seen it since, but hope it continues to live somewhere in our woods or yard.