Natural History of the Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata Agassiz Part 14

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Aerial photograph of Damm Farm (July, 1954).

Numbers and letters on photograph denote the following: 1. Main pasture with subdivisions a to c, respectively, northwest corner area, house pond area, and southern ravine area; 2. Wooded area; and, 3. Cultivated area.

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FIG. 1. A water-filled ravine in the northern part of the pasture at the Damm Farm (June 28, 1958). The subdivision of the pasture referred to in text as "northwest corner area" can be seen sloping into the ravine from the west (left background).

FIG. 2. A cow path leading southward away from a ravine, at the Damm Farm (June 28, 1958). Ornate box turtles used such paths as routes of travel in the course of their daily activities.

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FIG. 1. Gra.s.sland on crest of hill at Damm Farm with northeastern corner of main pasture in background (June 29, 1958).

FIG. 2. A bare area along the rock fence at northern edge of pasture at Damm Farm. Ornate box turtles could nearly always be found foraging in cow dung here and in similar areas along other fences (June 28, 1958).

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FIG. 1. A ravine in the southern part of the pasture at the Damm Farm (June 28, 1958). Small springs at the heads of such ravines produced marshy conditions at their bottoms and provided drinking water, in the form of shallow pools, for box turtles for at least part of the year. Banks of ravines provided suitable sites for the construction of nests and forms.

FIG. 2. A mulberry tree on the bank of a ravine near northern edge of Damm pasture (June 28, 1958). Box turtles frequented the area beneath the tree when fruit fell to the ground in June and July. The ravine shown here filled with water after being dammed in June, 1956.

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Representative stages in the spermatogenic cycle of _T. o. ornata_ (all specimens obtained in Douglas County, Kansas, 1955).

FIGS. 1 to 5, respectively, are sections of seminiferous tubules obtained on May 17, June 14, July 15, Aug. 31, and Oct. 4.

FIG. 6: seminiferous tubule of immature male (plastral length, 88 mm.), six years old, obtained on June 30.

FIG. 7: section of epididymis from mature male obtained on April 17, three days after turtle emerged from hibernation; mature sperm form a continuous dark ma.s.s in center of epididymis.

FIG. 8: sperm in uterine portion of oviduct of female obtained on April 18, 1954.

Figs. 1 to 6 and 8 were photographed ? 430, and were enlarged 1.4 times. Fig. 7 was photographed ? 35, and was enlarged 1.4 times.

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FIG. 1. Left ovary of mature female, prior to ovulation, May 15, 1956 (? 1).

FIG. 2. Fresh corpus luteum, June 2, 1956 (? 4).

FIG. 3. Testes of mature male, August 31, 1955 (? 1).

FIG. 4. Testes of mature male, April 14, 1956 (? 2).

FIG. 5. Left ovary of subadult female (seven years old, plastral length, 114 mm.) that would have matured in approximately one year (? 1).

FIG. 6. Left ovary of juvenal female (11 years old, plastral length, 95 mm., ? 1).

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FIG. 1. A trial nest cavity excavated by a gravid _T. o. ornata_ at the Damm Farm on June 8, 1956. The cavity was situated at the edge of a gra.s.sy area on the upper rim of a ravine embankment. Twelve-inch ruler shows scale.

FIG. 2. A depression, resulting from an old post-hole, showing the openings made by three box turtles as they left their hibernacula in April, 1956 (photographed May 15, 1956).

Twelve-inch ruler shows scale.

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FIG. 1. Right abdominal lamina (? 2) of a four-year-old juvenal male showing method of measuring growth-rings. The last growth-ring (4) was formed at the end of the 1954 growing season. The first growth-ring (H) marks the end of the season of hatching (1950). The umbilical scar (U) is faintly visible.

The growth-zone for 1955 (specimen captured June 23) is just beginning to show in interlaminal seam.

FIG. 2.

_Left_--Right abdominal lamina (? 2) of subadult female, eight years old. The last growth-zone was formed in 1954. Note the relatively small growth increments in 1952 and 1953.

The growth-zone for 1955 (date of capture, May 8) is not yet visible. This specimen grew more in the season of hatching (1946) than the specimen shown above in Fig. 1.

_Right_--Interpectoral seam (? 3) of adult male showing slowness of growth in later life. The widest growth-zone seen here was formed in the tenth year and is followed by four zones too narrow to measure accurately. It is uncertain whether this specimen was still growing in the year it was captured (1923).

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Ontogenetic change in color and markings of carapace. Radial markings begin to develop at the onset of epidermal growth.

Markings are sharply defined in juveniles and young adults but may be obscured in later life by the encroachment of dark ground color or by wear on the sh.e.l.l.

Figures are as follows: _Upper left_--Hatchling (? 1); _Upper right_--Juvenile (? 1), one year old; _Lower left_--Juvenile (? 1), one year old; _Lower left_--Female (? 7/16) showing typical adult markings; _Lower right_--Adult male (? showing blotched pattern resulting from wear on sh.e.l.l.

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Ontogenetic change in color and markings of plastron. Dark markings on plastra of hatchlings are unbroken. Dark radiations appear when epidermal growth begins.

Figures are as follows: _Upper left_--Hatchling (? 1); _Upper right_--Juvenile (? 1); _Lower left_--Female (? 7/16) showing typical adult markings; _Lower right_--Adult male (? ) showing the effect of wear on markings. Plastra of old individuals are sometimes solid yellow. Note the break in the plastron that has healed and filled with ligamentous tissue.

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Ontogenetic change and s.e.xual dimorphism in shape, color, and markings of head and neck. Females retain much of the juvenal pattern of spots and blotches. In males, the top and sides of the head become greenish or bluish and markings are obscured.

FIGS. 1 and 3. Lateral and dorsal views of hatchling (? 3); FIGS. 2 and 4. Lateral and dorsal views of juvenile (? 2); FIGS. 5 and 6. Adult female (? 1); FIGS. 7 and 8. Adult male (? 1) showing relatively wider and more truncated snout in this s.e.x.

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FIG. 1. A foraging station next to a rock fence at the Damm Farm (June 28, 1958). The box turtle in foreground was in the act of tearing apart a pile of partially dried cow dung to obtain dung insects.

FIG. 2. A depression (? ) made by a foraging box turtle in a pile of partially dried cow dung (June 28, 1958). Similar "sign" of box turtles was found in cow dung everywhere on the pasture at the Damm Farm.

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FIG. 1. Thread-laying device ("trailer") taped to the carapace of an adult female _T. o. ornata_. The squares of tape on the sides are to keep the bent-over ends of the wire axle from catching on vegetation (? ).

FIG. 2. A dermal pocket ("cyst") removed from an adult _T. ornata_ and cut open to show two larval bot flies (_Sarcophaga cistudinis_) (? 2, May 15, 1956).