I guess the warm weather here in Arkansas changed this turtles mind on hibernating. This is the first turtle I have seen in several weeks so I thought they may have hibernated.
From the National Zoo:
Environmental temperature determines activity rate. Preferred body temperature is between 84 and 100° F (37.8° C). In the heat of the summer, box turtles largely restrict their activity to mornings and after rain. When it gets too hot, they hide under decaying logs and leaves, crawl into mammal burrows, or into mud. When it is really hot, they go into shady pools and puddles to cool off. In the spring and fall, they may be out foraging during all daylight hours, and they sometimes bask in the sun to get warm. Box turtles are diurnal and scoop out a shallow indentation in which to spend the night.
In the northern regions, box turtles go into hibernation in October or November, but farther south they remain active later in the year. To hibernate, they burrow as far as two-feet deep into loose earth, mud, stream bottoms, old stump holes, or mammal burrows. They may return to the same place to hibernate in successive years and sometimes more than one turtle hibernates in the same hibernacula. They usually emerge from hibernation in April. They sometimes wake up and find a new hibernacula on warm days in the winter.
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Although he looks like a box turtle, his coloring is gray while the box turtle has brown with yellow markings–maybe covered with mud? Great photo.
Joan, I think this is a Three-toed Box Turtle.
Hello Steve, I have a turtle that I found in my friends backyard that we was wanting to know what kind of turtle it was. It kind of looks like this one shown except it has orange dots on his head and under its mouth, yellow spots on its legs and feet. Can u help us out with this? Pine Bluff, Ark
Lee, see if it looks like any of these: http://www.herpsofarkansas.com/Turtle/HomePage
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