Male and female Eastern box turtles look alike at first glance, and they are found from southeastern Maine down to northern Florida and west to Michigan, Illinois and Tennessee. Terrestrial turtles grow to about 4.5 to 6.6 inches. Adults have a high-domed, oval upper shell, or carapace, which is usually dark brown or black and has numerous irregular yellow, orange or red markings. Both sexes also have an upper jaw that ends in a down-turned beak. Beyond these similarities, though, male and female Eastern box turtle have subtle differences that are noticeable if you look closely.
Instructions
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1
Examine the turtle's eyes. Males only have red eyes while females have brown or light orange eyes.
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2
Look at the turtle's claws and tail. Males tend to have longer, wider tails and longer claws than female Eastern box turtles.
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3
View the carapace and the lower shell, or plastron. Males have a slightly flatter carapace than females as well as a slightly more concave plastron.
