Three-toed box turtle

Description:

Adult male and female three-toed box turtle.

Habitat:

Upland hardwood forest

Notes:

I came upon this pair just after they had started mating. I watched the pair for 1.5 hours until they separated. Male had a beautiful, shiny tan carapace and female a darker, more mottled carapace. Male had hind legs hooked beneath females carapace and kept his neck and head arched over her carapace. Bright orange spots on his forelegs. The male followed the female into the woods and they both burrowed into the leaf litter.