The ornate box turtle is a terrestrial turtle and terrestrial turtles are sensitive to human causes such as habitat destruction, introduced species, harvest or collection, pollution, and climate change. During warm summer days, ornate box turtles can seek out water or dig … Box turtles are North American turtles of the genus Terrapene.Although box turtles are superficially similar to tortoises in terrestrial habits and overall appearance, they are actually members of the American pond turtle family ().The twelve taxa which are distinguished in … For females, the number is 11-13 cm. Since the U.S. government does not recognize the eastern box turtle as an endangered species, it has very little protection from developers and pet owners. Box turtles can be kept in New York State but only with permits. The largest ever recorded specimen reached a size of 5.9 inches (15 cm). But not all hope is lost to protect the wild box turtle. Even folks who aren’t into fishing, hunting, hiking, bird watching or gardening have had opportunities to observe box turtles. Links about State laws In many states box turtles are endangered. Thankfully, many states in the U.S have made the trade of wild box turtles illegal. Left in the wild, a box turtle may produce more than 200 eggs in its lifetime. It's illegal to keep an ornate box turtle unless you have a permit, but it's hard to enforce this law and pet collecting still goes on. So if you pick one box turtle from the wild to make your pet, it will not survive long. Check the NYS DEC website for more information. Too often, unfortunately, such opportunities involve these reptiles trying to cross roads or highways. In the wild, they feed on anything they can find in their natural habitat. It does often have a bright yellow line … Ornate box turtle diet / what do Ornate box turtles eat As all other species of box turtles, Ornate box turtles are omnivores. The limit is per person, so multi person households can have more (ex. It is highly advisable to personally check with your local Fish and Wildlife Division to be absolutely sure you are legally keeping Box Turtles. The Ornate box turtle is a small turtle, usually no more than 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) long. Basically, all American species of box turtles are "protected" in New York State and require permits to own, regardless of whether the species is native to New York State or not. A fact says half of the box turtles die if they are moved from the wild. Its carapace is tall (domed) and flattened on top, without the raised central keel of many other box turtles. Many states do not let you keep ornate box turtles for any reason.