Rosie the Eastern Box Turtle

Hatched: Estimated 1980s

Arrived at WSWC: June 6, 2020

Sex: Female

Rosie was admitted to the wildlife center in June 2020 after she was found with a broken plastron (bottom shell) and broken leg. While her shell fractures healed well, we struggled to control the infection in her badly injured leg. Sensitivity cultures revealed that Rosie had an antibiotic-resistant E-coli infection. Thankfully, our veterinary partners were able to figure out a combination of medications that saved her leg, but Rosie’s knee joint was irreparably damaged from the infection. Without the ability to fully pull all her limbs into her shell, Rosie was too vulnerable to predators and was unable to be successfully returned to the wild. Her outgoing personality made Rosie a welcomed addition to our education team. She helped connect people with our vulnerable wild turtle populations and educated them about the dangers of antibiotic overuse as it relates to One Health. Rosie passed peacefully in her sleep of old age, May 23, 2023.

About Eastern Box Turtles

  • Size: Typically range from 4.6 - 6 inches in length. Largest known Eastern Box Turtle was 9.25 inches in shell length. Hatchlings emerge from the egg only 1.25 inches in length.

  • Lifespan: Between 50-80 years in the wild and in captivity. Oldest known Eastern Box Turtle lived to be 138 years old!

  • Diet: Eastern Box Turtles are omnivores, eating a variety of plants and animal matter. Young box turtles consume more animal matter than adults who typically eat more plants.

  • Reproduction: Male and female turtles reach sexual maturity between five and 10 years of age. Nesting begins in May and lasts until July with females digging nests to lay their eggs and bury them. One successful mating can produce fertile eggs for up to 4 years! Females generally lay one to five clutches of one to 11 eggs per year. Generally, only 1 in 1,000 eggs will survive to adulthood.

  • Range: Prefer thick woodlands and are more terrestrial than other native turtle species. However, they still spend time swimming and enjoying time in moist areas. Eastern Box Turtles can be found from southern Maine to southern Illinois and as far south as Alabama and Georgia.

  • Important Facts: Populations of Eastern Box Turtles are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) Red List due to habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, poaching, pollution and climate change. The biggest causes of admissions to the wildlife center include vehicle collisions, farm/gardening equipment collisions, interactions with domestic dogs and infections. Turtle eggs have more predators than adults, making each adult breeding individual critical to overall population health!