Box vs. Snapping Turtle

By Chloe Evans

Snapping turtles and box turtles. Very different in many ways. 

Aquatic vs. terrestrial. Small vs. large. Fight vs. flight. These two turtles could not be any more different. Snapping turtles are darker, larger, and more aggressive than the small, colorful, shy box turtle. 

Snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) are found all across eastern North America in any body of fresh water. Their long necks and tails and rough shells are rarely seen outside of water. Being aquatic, snapping turtles spend most of their lives in shallow, murky water. Much like box turtles, snapping turtles have low metabolic rates. This encourages them to remain still for long periods of time, but they snap when captured or cornered. You will find snapping turtles on land between April and November, their mating season, where female turtles lay between 20 and 40 eggs in dug out nests.

Box turtles (Terrapene carolina) are one of the most common terrestrial turtles in the southeast. You are most likely to stumble upon these turtles in hardwood forests or along fields and wetland edges after a rainstorm or during mating season in the fall. Unlike snapping turtles, they are not strong swimmers and live most of their lives on land. They do not dive or spend time beneath the surface, but they can reorient themselves if submerged. The name “box turtle” comes from their ability to completely seal themselves into their shells. The bottom of their shell is hinged allowing it to close its openings for protection. This safety mechanism, accompanied by a low metabolic rate, yields a long lifespan for these turtles. By conserving energy and hiding from predators, box turtles can live to be 50 years old. 

Another considerable difference is the turtles’ conservation status. The snapping turtle is widely harvested for dishes while the box turtle is protected by law in several states including Georgia and South Carolina.