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Terrapene

Box turtle
Temporal range: Miocene - Recent, 15–0 Ma
Florida Box Turtle Digon3.jpg
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
Terrapene carolina
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Species

Terrapene carolina
Terrapene coahuila
Terrapene nelsoni
Terrapene ornata

Synonyms

Cistuda Fleming, 1822
Diducla Rafinesque, 1832
Pyxidemys Fitzinger, 1835
Emyoides Gray, 1844
Onychotria Gray, 1849
Pariemys Cope, 1895
Toxaspis Cope, 1895


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

Shelled box turtles (also known as crescent turtles) are turtles of the genus Terrapene native, although box turtles are terrestrial members of the American pond turtle family (Emydidae), and not members of the tortoise family (Testudinidae). 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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