Natural History of the Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata AgassizLegler, John M.
Science
Natural History of the Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata Agassiz
Legler, John M.
Ornate box turtle
The repeated excavation of trial nest cavities presumably exhausts the
supply of liquid in the female's bladder. Frequent imbibing of water
is probably necessary if the search for a nesting site is continued
for more than a day or two. Standing water was usually available in
ponds, ravines, ditches, and other low areas at the Damm Farm in June.
Nesting in June, therefore, is advantageous not only because of the
greater length of time provided for incubation and hatching but also
because of the amount of water available for drinking. Females can
probably be more selective in the choice of a nesting site if their
explorations are not limited by lack of water.
Females of _T. ornata_, in all instances known to me, began excavation
of their nests in early evening and laid their eggs after dark; Allard
(1935:328) reported the same behavior for _T. carolina_.
William R. Brecheisen, on July 22, 1955, at his farm, two miles south
and one mile west of Welda, Anderson County, Kansas, observed that a
large female began digging a nest in an earth-filled stock tank at
6:00 P. M. At first she moved her body about on the surface of the
earth, loosening it and pushing it aside with all four legs, making a
depression approximately two inches deep and large enough to
accommodate her body. At 7:30 P. M. she began digging alternately with
her hind feet at the bottom of the depression. Digging continued until
10:00 P. M., at which time the nest cavity was three inches deep, and
three inches in diameter, with a smaller opening at the top. Six eggs
were laid in the next half-hour. Covering of the nest probably took
more than one hour but observations were terminated after the final
egg was laid. By the following morning the nest-site had been
completely covered and was no different in appearance from the rest of
the earthen floor of the tank. (Brecheisen observed more of the
nesting than anyone else has recorded and I am obliged to him for
permission to abstract, as per the above paragraph, the notes that he
wrote on the matter.)
A nest made by a captive female at the Reservation was of normal
proportions except for an accessory cavity that opened from the neck
of the nest, immediately below the surface of the ground. This smaller
cavity contained a single egg. This peculiar nest may have resulted
from the efforts of two different females since several were kept in
the same outdoor pen.
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