Turtle Reproduction and Behavior

Box Turtle Courtship

Two of our turtles are shown courting. On the left, the male mounts the female and tries to entice her by scraping his jaw along the edge of her shell near her head. She doesn’t seem very interested – turn on your audio to hear her hissing and trying to walk away. On the right, taken a little later, the male is still avidly scraping his jaw and she seems a little more interested.

Box Turtle Behaviors

Common box turtle behaviors are shown, including competing for earthworms, eating a native centipede, and walking towards us at breakfast time.

Texas Gopher Tortoise Behaviors

Texas tortoises can be seen engaging in their main activities: feeding, exploring, and walking.