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. blandingii. 

 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. triungUlS. 



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. bauri. 

 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. 



55 



