This male box turtle and I have a history.
When we were children, my cousins, my sister, and I would go out in the late spring in catch box turtles. We used to catch a lot of them, but I distinctly remember this ornately marked male box turtle. He’s been captured so many times that he’s accustomed to humans.
We would keep the turtles for a bout a week, and then we would release them. The next year we’d catch them again.
And because of their longevity, we sort of got to know the turtles over time.
However, this male is the only one remaining from those years.
Box turtles actually hate very hot conditions, when it gets too muggy and hot for them, they bury in the mud to keep cool.
Today was a mild day (65-70 degrees), so it was perfect weather for a box turtle. Plus, it rained last night, and the worms and slugs were out and about. Box turtles have an appetite for slimy creatures, and he probably has a belly full of them from last night.
Interesting animals.
Unfortunately, the box turtle numbers are dropping throughout their range. In many places, it is illegal to collect them for pets, and where it is legal, it is best to leave them alone. They don’t do all that well in captivity, and they are far better off in the wild, where they can contribute to the survival of their species.
When I was around two or three we lived in the Mojave, and there were desert tortoises that live in our yard. They had dens that they wintered in and in the spring they would lay eggs. I remember liking the small one but being terrified of the two big ones.