Common Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassTestudines
- FamilyEmydidae (Pond and Box Turtles)
- GenusTerrapene (Box Turtles)
- SpeciesTerrapene carolina (Common Box Turtle)
The common box turtle (Terrapene carolina) is a species of box turtle with five existing subspecies. It is found throughout the Eastern United States and Mexico. The box turtle has a distinctive hinged lower shell that allows it to completely enclose itself, like a box. Its upper jaw is hooked. The turtle is primarily terrestrial and eats a wide variety of plants and animals. The females lay their eggs in the summer. Wikipedia →
30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Box Turtle sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 295 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Common Box Turtle in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
About 35% of wildlife watchers report a Common Box Turtle sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 295 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Common Box Turtle in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Common Box Turtle in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our monthly data.