The known range of _T. ornata_ includes the southern half of the Grassland Biome, part of the Desert Biome, and that part of the Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome known as the Prairie-Forest Ecotone. The species is found in microhabitats that differ widely in food supply, temperature, moisture, and kind of soil. In spite of its relatively high degree of morphological specialization, _T. ornata_ is remarkably versatile in regard to habitat requirements. Ornate box turtles are relatively inconspicuous in natural surroundings and collectors seldom seek out and obtain specimens under completely natural conditions as may be done with certain other reptiles and amphibians by turning rocks, tearing apart logs, or setting traps. Most series of specimens are obtained by hunting after rains on roads or other natural breaks in vegetational cover. Detailed information on habitat preferences is lacking. Low temperature seems to be an important factor limiting the distribution of _T. ornata_ in the northern part of its range. Box turtles, like nearly all other reptiles occurring at these latitudes, spend the winter in underground hibernacula. The depth to which the ground freezes in the coldest part of the winter is therefore a critical factor. The ground freezes to an average depth of 30 inches or less over most of the range of the species; only in the extreme northern part of the range (southern South Dakota, southeastern Wyoming) does the ground freeze to an average depth of as much as 35 inches. Average depth of freezing is, in fact, less than 15 inches over more than one half the range of the species. The average number of frost-free days per year ranges from 130 to 140 days in the northern part of the range to more than 250 days in the southwestern part of the range. _Terrapene ornata_ occurs from near sea level to elevations of more than 5000 feet. Both subspecies are found at both high and low elevations but _luteola_ is more consistently taken at high elevations than _ornata_. The latter subspecies commonly occurs at elevations above 4000 feet on the high plains in extreme western Kansas and eastern Colorado; the highest elevation from which I have examined specimens of _T. o. ornata_ is between 4600 and 4700 feet near Akron, Washington County, Colorado. The greater part of the known range of _T. o. luteola_ lies above 3000 feet.