Terrapene ornata

Terrapene ornata
Comparison of T. ornata subspecies, T. o. ornata and T. o. luteola
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Family:	Emydidae
Genus:	Terrapene
Species:	T. ornata
Binomial name
Terrapene ornata Agassiz, 1857

Terrapene ornata is a species of North American box turtle sometimes referred to as the western box turtle or ornate box turtle.

Taxonomy

There are two subspecies of T. ornata:

• Ornate box turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata (Agassiz, 1857)
• Desert box turtle, Terrapene ornata luteola (Smith & Ramsey, 1952)

Description

T. ornata have a shell that is less domed than other species of box turtle, appearing to be slightly flattened. Their coloration is generally black or dark brown, with yellow striping. T. o. luteola tends to have more striping than T. o. ornata.

Range

T. ornata ornata is found in the central United States from western Indiana, to eastern Texas and into Louisiana. T. ornata luteola inhabits the driest areas of all the box turtle species, and is found in western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and adjoining areas of northern Mexico.

Conservation

In Indiana, the ornate box turtle is listed as an endangered species.^[2]

Symbol

The species became the official state reptile of Kansas in 1986.^[3][4]

References

• Shearer, Benjamin F.; Shearer, Barbara S. (1994). State names, seals, flags, and symbols (2nd ed.). Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-313-28862-3. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Terrapene ornata.

Wikispecies has information related to: Terrapene ornata

• Chelonia.org: Box Turtles

Family Emydidae (pond turtles)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Suborder: Cryptodira Superfamily: Testudinoidea Family: Emydidae
Genus	Species of the subfamily Deirochelyinae
Chrysemys	Painted turtle
Deirochelys	Chicken turtle
Graptemys	Alabama map turtle Barbour's map turtle Black-knobbed map turtle Cagle's map turtle Escambia map turtle False map turtle Northern map turtle Ouachita map turtle Pascagoula map turtle Pearl River map turtle Ringed map turtle Texas map turtle Yellow-blotched map turtle
Malaclemys	Diamondback terrapin
Pseudemys	Alabama red-bellied cooter Northern red-bellied cooter Florida red-bellied cooter Peninsula cooter Rio Grande cooter River cooter Texas river cooter
Trachemys	Big bend slider Baja California slider Central Antillean slider Colombian slider Cuatro Cienegas slider Cuban slider D'Orbigny's slider Hispaniolan slider Jamaican slider Maranhão slider Meso-American slider Nicaraguan slider Ornate slider Pond slider Yaqui slider
	Species of the subfamily Emydinae
Clemmys	Spotted turtle
Emys	Blanding's turtle European pond turtle Sicilian pond turtle Western pond turtle
Glyptemys	Bog turtle Wood turtle
Terrapene	Coahuilan box turtle Common box turtle Ornate box turtle Spotted box turtle
Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2011 update: annotated checklist. Subspecies and the extinct (Gyremys sectabilis) are not included.