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Painted Box Turtle
- Colouration
- The shell is dark brown or black above, with moderately broad, yellow, radiating lines. The lower shell is brightly coloured, being yellow, but so thickly suffused with brown that it presents an intricate network of yellow and brown bands.
- Dimensions
- Height of Combined Shell. . . . . 2 1/4 inches.
- Distribution
- Indiana to the Rocky Mountains and southward into Mexico. In the Southern United States, the species does not range eastward of Texas.
The form of the carapace is broad and globular. It is distinctly flattened on the area of the central row of plates, and is without a trace of the pronounced keel of the other species. There are four claws on the hind feet.
The head is dark, with large yellowish or reddish spots upon the sides and dots of the same colour upon the top, while the neck is banded with the same bright hue.
With most specimens the scales of the forelimbs are bright red--with some, orange.
From its generally bright colouration, this is the most attractive species of the box turtles.
Length of Carapace. . . . . 4 3/4 inches.
Width of Carapace. . . . . 3 7/8 inches.
Length of Plastron. . . . . 4 7/8 inches.
Width of Head. . . . . 1 inches.