1 8 Curtis C. Bentley and James L. Knight 



imen consisting of a partial carapace and one half of posterior plastron from the 

 bridge (SCSM 91.168.1). An individual female specimen consisting of a com- 

 plete carapace and plastron (.435-.435.1). A individual partial carapace (SCSM 

 91. 167.1). 



Isolated elements: 8 nuchals (.459-.466); 2 right 1st costals (.471 -.472); 

 1 fused left 7th and 8th costal (.473); 5 costals (.474-.478); 3 left 5th peripherals 

 (.479-.481); 2 fused peripherals (1 USNM) (1 UF); 32 peripherals (.510-.541)(2 

 USNM)(2 UF); 2 complete, 10 partial anterior plastral lobes (.467-.469)(6 

 USNM)(3 UF); 1 right epiplastron (.470); 2 entoplastra (.508-.509); 2 complete, 

 9 partial posterior plastral lobes (.507)(5 USNM)(5 UF); 32 large shell fragments 

 (.510-.541); 1 partial skull (.436); 1 right maxilla (.437); 3 postorbitals (.438- 

 .440); 4 mandibles (.441-.444); 3 cervical vertebrae (.456-.458); 4 humeri (.445- 

 .448); 4 femora (.449-.451); 4 ilia (.452-.455). 



Characters used for identification: The more complete specimens are easily sep- 

 arated from other emydid turtles based on their hinged plastra and overall mor- 

 phology. Emydoidea differs from the box turtle by its smooth, unkeeled carapace 

 and tends to be anteriorly constricted (Holman 1985). 



Plastron - The hinged plastral elements prevent confusion with any 

 other emydid of North America except E. blandingii. The anterior end of this 

 attachment area between the carapace and plastron differs from E. blandingii, as 

 the carapace and plastron of Terrapene have a heavily sutured interlocking pro- 

 trusion and pocket respectively. In Emydoidea this area lacks the sutured "ball 

 and socket" mechanism and instead has a pronounced lateral flare generally 

 located on the 5th marginal. The large size and robust nature of the fossil ele- 

 ments suggest an affinity to this subspecies. 



Peripherals - These elements are distinguished by an upwardly curved 

 anterior edge, forming, in some specimens, a "gutter-like" effect. 



Humeri, femora, and ilia - Humeri and femora were separated from 

 other emydid turtles based on comparison to Recent specimens and characters 

 provided by Holman (1967, 1975). Ilia of T. Carolina have a distinctive 

 "boomerang-shape" and are straighter in other species (Holman 1977). Addi- 

 tionally, these fossil elements were identical to those retrieved from within the 

 shells of the more complete fossil T. c. major collected from the Ardis site. 



Remarks: This is the largest of the North American box turtles and today ranges 

 from the coast of eastern Texas eastward along the Gulf coast into the Florida 

 panhandle (Carr 1952). The Gulf Coast box turtle is commonly found in marsh- 

 es, palmetto-pine forests, and upland hammocks. It enters water with a frequen- 

 cy similar to T. c. Carolina (Carr 1952, Conant and Collins 1991). 



