The Box Turtles 



Following is a key to aid in the identification of the North 

 American Box Turtles: 



I. Feet fully webbed. Carapace elongated and globular. 



Genus Emys. 

 Black, with numerous yellow dots. 

 blanding's turtle, "semi-box" turtle, E. hlandingii. 

 Distribution. — Central States; eastward to New 

 England States. 



II. Feet club-shaped, or sparsely webbed. Carapace short 

 and globular. Genus Cistudo. 



a. Hind foot with four daws. 



Carapace without a keel. Brown or black with 

 yellow, radiating spots. 



PAINTED BOX TURTLE, C. Omata. 



Distribution. — Central States to the Rockies; 

 south into Mexico. 



Carapace with a keel. Brown or black with ir- 

 regular, yellow spots. 



COMMON BOX TURTLE, C. Carolina. 



Distribution. — Eastern United States, north of 

 Georgia. 



Carapace with a keel.* Brown or black, with 

 yellow, radiating lines. 



LARGE BOX TURTLE, C. major. 



Distribution. — Georgia to the Rio Grande. 



b. Hind foot with three claws. 



Carapace like two preceding species. 

 Olive, with obscure yellow markings. 



THREE-TOED BOX TURTLE, C. triuflguis. 



Distribution. — Georgia to the Rio Grande; north- 

 ward to Missouri. 

 Carapace very high and globular — keeled. 

 Brown or black, with greenish, radiating lines. 



baur's box turtle, C. hauri. 

 Distribution. — Southern Georgia and Florida. 



The "Semi-box" Turtles — Genus Emys: The two species 

 of this genus are characterised by a rather long, globular shell. 

 The plastron is attached to the upper shell by a cartilaginous 

 joint. It is divided by a central hinge and both the front and 

 rear portions are movable — the former to a considerable degree 

 and the latter but slightly so; thus the popular title, "semi-box" 

 turtles. 



The species of Emys are aquatic, living about ponds and 

 rivers, where they bask upon derelict timber and plunge into 



* The largest species of the genus. 



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