With distinctive markings on their shells, western box turtles, such as the one seen here, are among the most widely recognized turtle species and one of two box turtle species in the US. Box turtles are named after their dome-shaped shells which are hinged at the bottom, allowing the shell to close like a box if it needs to hide from predators. They generally live for around 25 years but can survive for more than 50, and there have been reports of some living for 100 years.
World Turtle Day
Today in History
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Mount Rainier National Park
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50 years of Earth Day
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First day of summer
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A ‘city’ within Valencia
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There’s a dog in there somewhere
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Tennis in the park
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Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
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Row, row, row your gondola
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Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
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Come out of your shell for World Turtle Day
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Keep watching the skies
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The first ascent
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Bringing together history and technology
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Queen Elizabeth s Platinum Jubilee
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Room at the top?
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A wetland in Västmanland, Sweden
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Honoring our veterans
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Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
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Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia
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A festival of lights in India
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Looking for peace on the precipice
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Guanahacabibes National Park, Cuba
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Yellow-eyed penguins, Moeraki, New Zealand
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At ease, it’s Armed Forces Day
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Lick Observatory
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Big Bend National Park turns 78
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Best fronds forever
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In Apia Harbor for Samoan Independence Day
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I see one!
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The puffin-rabbit connection