The box turtle (Terrapene), or box tortoise, is a genus of turtle native to North America (United States and Mexico). The 12 taxa which are distinguished in the genus are distributed over four species. It is 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.
Read more about Box Turtle: Taxonomy and Genetics, Description, Distribution and Habitat
Famous quotes containing the words box and/or turtle:
“Nobody has ever before asked the nuclear family to live all by itself in a box the way we do. With no relatives, no support, we’ve put it in an impossible situation.”
—Margaret Mead (1901–1978)
“I think of the nestling fallen into the deep grass,
The turtle gasping in the dusty rubble of the highway,
The paralytic stunned in the tub, and the water rising,—
All things innocent, hapless, forsaken.”
—Theodore Roethke (1908–1963)