![]() ![]() Like tortoises of thedesert, the ornate box turtle stores water in the urinary bladder, andin times of water stress can extract much of the water from the urine,forming a dense, dark urine. Becausethe ornate box turtle is more often exposed to hot, dry conditions (andlives in places with little shade) it is physiologically better adaptedto withstand heat and drought than the three-toed. The three-toed of course prefers the woods to the prairies,so these species differ in habitat preferences as well as morphology. Inthe eastern parts of its range it is found in open areas, even those surroundedby wooded habitats. The ornate box turtle is an inhabitant of prairies and savannas. Females are somewhat larger than males, and as in the three-toed,males have orange or red eyes and markings on the neck and front legs.Females lack these colorful markings. The ornate box turtle is similar in sizeto the three-toed, adults averaging about 10-12 cm in length, with recordsover 15 cm. The ornate box turtlenever has a mid-dorsal ridge. The carapace of ornatebox turtles is flattened relative to that of three-toed box turtles, whichis usually domed and may have a mid-dorsal ridge. The ornate box turtle has four toes onthe hind feet, and the inner toe and claw can be turned inward and areused to help males hold their position during mating. This pattern is on theplastron as well as the carapace. The ornate box turtle has a pattern ofyellow stripes and blotches on a dark background. The ornate box turtle and the three-toed box turtle are sympatric acrossmuch of their respective ranges these two species differ from one anotherin a number of characteristics. The ornate box turtle, however, doesnot cross the Rio Grande into Mexico (thus the river forms a geographicbarrier to its dispersal). ![]() A westernsubspecies, the Desert box turtle, occurs in southern New Mexico, southernArizona, and northwestern Mexico. ![]() In the east it ranges intomuch of Missouri, western Arkansas, and southwestern Louisiana, and inthe west it reaches eastern Colorado and eastern New Mexico. The ornate box turtle is common throughout much of the south-centralGreat Plains of the US, from Nebraska and southern South Dakota, throughKansas, Oklahoma, and practically all of Texas. ![]()
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