Box turtles are in the Order Chelonia, Family Emydidae, and genus Terrapene. There are two major species in the United States: carolina (Eastern box turtle) and ornata (Western or ornate box turtle). Box turtles are easily recognized by their...

When you see a turtle on top of a fence post, you know it had some help....

Turtles are reptilians of the Order Testudines (all living turtles belong to the crown group Chelonia), most of whose body is shielded by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs. The Order Testudines includes both extant...

Neil and Karen rise at seven, before their children and before his parents, and creep through the old beach house as quietly as possible, the sand on the kitchen linoleum sticking to their bare feet. On the porch, where no one will hear them,...

Have you ever watched a mound of sandy dirt in your backyard when suddenly you see a hole start to appear? If you watch closely, you might get a chance to see claws digging their way up from underneath the earth. A gopher...

Two environmental groups are asking the Interior Department to declare loggerhead sea turtles that inhabit the Atlantic coast officially endangered, maintaining that tens of thousands of the turtles are killed annually by commercial fishing and because of coastal development.The loggerhead sea turtle already is classified...

Close to 10 million turtles are traded each year in Asian food markets despite global efforts to stem the practice that many experts say is causing the rapid extinction of some species of the shelled reptiles.The centuries-old practice of using turtles for food and medicinal...