Box Turtle Babies Crawl Out of Their Shells at North Carolina Aquarium

By Katie DiCioccio

Manteo, NC - On July 26, 2009, the Roanoke Island Aquarium welcomed some unexpected additions when four tiny hatchlings emerged from a well-hidden nest in the Eastern Box Turtle exhibit. The baby turtles, each of which measured just over one inch in diameter, are the first to successfully hatch at the aquarium since the exhibit opened in the fall of 2007.

Eastern Box Turtles reach sexual maturity between six and ten years of age. Female turtles lay clutches of three to eight eggs in shallow nests, and may spend hours concealing their nests to protect the eggs from predators. The eggs hatch after an incubation of 70 to 90 days. Box turtle hatchlings are rarely seen in the wild; they spend their early years hiding under brush and leaf litter, subsisting primarily on small insects and worms. Although a female turtle may lay hundreds of eggs in her lifetime, an average of only two or three of her offspring will survive to adulthood. Their slow reproduction rate makes Eastern Box Turtle populations vulnerable to threats such as habitat destruction.

Here at the aquarium, the four hatchlings are currently housed behind-the-scenes, where they are eating well and growing quickly! They will be used in educational programs to teach the public about Eastern Box Turtles and the importance of conservation.

Photo: Teresa Kelly, media technician

To view North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-2025-North_Carolina_Aquarium_on_Roanoke_Island