Del and Margaret S. — valued guests to Ocean’s Reach for more than 20 years — recently sent us this photo that they found of their trip from Iowa last December.
What a beautifully intricate sight!
This turtle, aptly named, is called an Ornate Box Turtle.
The Ornate Box Turtle is a relatively small turtle, measuring only 4 to 6 inches in length. Their shells are dark brown with a yellow stripe and yellow lines down its back. They do not have teeth, but they use their sharp jaws to crush prey. The male can be differentiated from the female by their slightly concave plastron and red eyes (the female’s eyes are brown). The baby turtles resemble the adults, only their stripes look like spots. The Ornate Box Turtle can live as long as 40 years, maybe longer.
Thanks so much, Del and Margaret, for sharing another of Mother Nature’s marvels!
