General shortening of digits--the result of reduction in number of phalanges as well as in their length, and to a lesser degree the shortening of metapodial elements--has occurred in several groups of chelonians with terrestrial tendencies (the opposite--lengthening of phalanges and metapodials, and hyperphalangy--has occurred in certain groups that are highly aquatic). The pes of box turtles has remained relatively unchanged in this respect; a few phalanges on the lateral digit have been lost (especially in three-toed forms), but little reduction in length has occurred. The chief modification of the pes is a general narrowing brought about by the tendency of the digits to be crowded together, one on top of the other, rather than spread in a horizontal plane. Considerably more modification is seen in the manus of _Terrapene_. Phalangeal formulae (expressing the number of phalanges from the first digit outward) range from 2-3-3-3-2 (primitive in _Terrapene_) to 2-3-3-2-2 in the races of _carolina_ and have the same range in the species of eastern Mexico. Extreme reduction in number (2-2-2-2-2) as well as general shortening of phalanges occurs in _T. ornata_. The formula is the same in the one specimen of _T. klauberi_ that has been skeletonized. This modification of the forelimb in _T. ornata_ has produced a more rigid, stronger manus that is well adapted to the requirements of burrowing and to locomotion over unyielding substrata. Shortening of the manus (and, to a lesser extent, the pes) has been accompanied by reduction and loss of interdigital webbing. It is noteworthy that _T. ornata_ has achieved the same reduction in number of phalanges as _Gopherus_, which displays the extreme of specialization in this respect among North American turtles. The manus in _T. ornata_ is not shortened so much as in _Gopherus_.