Go Find It!

Three-toed box turtles are found in forests throughout Missouri except the northernmost counties. For more about box turtles, crawl over to mdc.mo.gov/field-guide.

Three-Toed Box Turtle

Gaze into my Eyes

You can tell whether a box turtle is a boy or girl by looking at its eyes. Boys usually have reddish eyes. Girls usually have yellowish-brown eyes.

Toe-tally Confusing

Despite their name, not all three-toed box turtles have three toes on each hind foot. Some have four! And all have four toes on each front foot.

Gimme Shell-ter

Thanks to a hinge on its bottom shell, a box turtle can tuck its legs and head inside its shell and close it up tight.

Nom, Nom, Nom

Adults eat mostly plants, berries, and mushrooms. During summer, they love to eat blackberries.

Night Nesters

Females lay eggs in June. They pick a sunlit patch of loose soil for their nest. Digging begins at dusk, and two to eight eggs are laid after dark.