Eastern Box Turtle

Description:

The Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) is one of two species of box turtles found in the United States. It is the only "land turtle" found in North Carolina and is also the state reptile. Box turtles are extremely long lived, slow to mature, and have relatively few offspring per year. These characteristics, along with a propensity to get hit by cars, make the box turtle a species particularly susceptible to human-induced problems.

Habitat:

Eastern box turtles are amazingly versatile animals and inhabit a wide variety of habitats from wooded swamps to dry, grassy fields. Although these turtles can live in a variety of different habitats, they are most abundant and healthy in moist forested areas with plenty of underbrush. Although not aquatic, box turtles will often venture into shallow water at the edge of ponds or streams or in puddles. Box turtles do not travel far, usually living within an area less than 200m in diameter. In cold climates they hibernate through the winter in loose soil at a depth of up to two feet.

Notes:

I found this turtle wading in a shallow stream in a thin strip of woods. Brought it back to my yard for a photo shoot :)