Cropped and annotated version of image by Makeemlighter,Used under CC BY-SA 3.0,
The small-to-medium sized Spotted Box Turtle (Terrapene nelsoni) lives in Mexico. They’re hard to find in the wild, and even harder to find in captivity.
They hide their nests well and haven’t been studied too much.
This species has been divided into two subspecies, but not everyone agrees that the subspecies are really different.
It is believed that the Spotted Box Turtle is closely related to the Western Box Turtle (T. ornata).
What the Spotted Box Turtle Looks Like
T. nelsoni grows to about 5.5 to 6 inches long.
The carapace is long and oval-shaped. It’s usually dark brown in color and is less domed than most other box turtle species. The keel is also less obvious.
The common name comes from the yellow spots that many of these turtles have all over their carapace and skin. Not all Spotted Box Turtles are actually spotted. Males are less likely to have spots than females.
Males do have big scales on their front legs. They also usually have red eyes and heads that are bigger than the females’ heads.
Males may have a concave plastron to make mating easier, but it’s not always obvious.
Where the Spotted Box Turtle Lives
Much like the Coahuilan box turtle, the Spotted box turtle lives in a small range in Mexico (although its range is bigger than the Coahuilan’s).
They live in northwestern Mexico, mostly in Sinaloa, Sonora and Nayarit. They can also be found in Jalisco and Chihuahua.
It is believed that T. nelsoni has two subspecies within this range:
- T. nelsoni nelsoni, the Southern Spotted Box Turtle. It lives (no surprise) in the southern part of the range, in southern Sinaloa as well as Nayarit and Jalisco.
- T. nelsoni klauberi, the Northern Spotted Box Turtle. It lives in northern Sinaloa, along with Sonora and Chihuahua.
Given how rare it is to see one, much less multiples of this turtle, the two subspecies haven’t really been studied well. The division is based mostly on appearance, and it’s not really clear if they’re really separate subspecies.
How the Spotted Box Turtle Lives and What it Eats
As mentioned, it’s very rare to see one. Even if you go looking for them. Apparently they’re good at hiding, and it’s hard to even find their nests.
So understanding how they live is hard, too. Most likely they live very similar to other box turtles. That is, they live near water and need humidity to stay healthy.
Experts believe these animals are inactive most of the year, coming out only during summer monsoon season. They mate and lay eggs during this relatively short season. Not much is known about breeding, either. But apparently the females only lay a few eggs at a time.
Their diet is equally mysterious, but again is probably similar to other box turtles. That is, a mix of insects and plants.
Although Spotted Box Turtles have been kept in captivity, you’re unlikely to ever own one. Since they’re so rare and live only in Mexico, availability in the pet trade is very limited. If you could find one, it would most likely be very expensive.