Originally posted by MTB-Markie:
Ok that is what I thought.
But I think boxwoods you get around here are land dwelling, but google seems to give more hits for boxwood turtle than boxwood tortoise.
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines, most of whose body is shielded by a special bony shell developed from their ribs. The term turtle is usually used for the aquatic species, aquatic fresh-water turtles also being referred to as terrapins. The term is also used (esp. North America) to refer to all members of the order, including tortoises, which are predominantly land based. The Box turtle is one of several species of turtles. It can refer to either Bataguridae, which includes the Asian box turtle or Emydidae, which includes numerous species of box and water turtles. Some Box Turtle species have a hinged plastron and are able to tighly close themselves inside their shells when threatened, hence the name. Eastern box turtles are considered endangered, and it is considered illegal to take them out of their natural habitat due to excess collecting. Feeding mainly on worms, slugs, and insects, box turtles are most active in early mornings or after rains, when the ground is moist, and the sun isn't too hot. It is easy to tell male and females of the species apart, as males have bright, red eyes, and the females have dark ones. Males also have longer, thicker tails. They make their homes in substrates such as leaves or dirt, but are usually found near streams or ponds. Staying small in size, males grow to up to 7", and females to about 8", but when sold, are usually only around 4 to 5" in length. In the wild, box turtles are known to live over 80 years, but usually only live between 30-50 in captivity.
