Turtle | Lion Country Safari

Eastern Box Turtle

(Terrapene Carolina Carolina)

Florida Box Turtle

(Terrapene Carolina bauri) Florida Box Turtle

Florida Red Bellied Turtle

(Pseudmys nelsoni) Florida Red Bellied Turtle

Hieroglyphic River Cooter

(Pseudemys concinna heiroglyphica) Hieroglyphic River Cooter

Ornate Box Turtle

(Terrapene ornate)

Peninsular Cooter

(Pseudemys floridana peninsularis)

Status: Threatened.

Range: Throughout the United States.

Habitat: Ponds, lakes, spring runs, canals, rivers, and woodland areas.

Food: Vegetation, fruit, insects, worms, snails, slugs.

Reproduction: Females lay 2 or more clutches of 4-22 eggs in nests dug in the soil. Incubation is 80-150 days.

Facts: A turtle’s shell contains the backbone in the top part
of the shell (the carapace). Turtles are often found basking in the sun, a necessary activity for all cold-blooded (exothermic) animals. Stretching out their legs in the sunshine helps to warm their body temperature, enabling movement and food digestion.

The rounded dome-like shells of the box turtles indicate they are land dwellers. The flatter shells of the water turtles facilitate swimming in a watery environment.