Ornate Box Turtle | 台北市立動物園資訊網

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The future health of Missouri’s population of ornate box turtles is of concern. Turtles have been generally declining statewide, mainly due to habitat destruction and fragmentation. Due to a lack of extensive movement of this species within a given area, habitat destruction and fragmentation can reduce the genetic viability of this species and other prairie animals. Ill-timed managed prairie burnings, road mortality, and illegal collecting also can reduce population numbers.

Missouris subspecies of ornate box turtle is the subspecies Terrapene ornata ornata, which is officially called the plains box turtle. The other North American subspecies, the desert box turtle (T. o. luteola), occurs only in the desert southwest. The two might not be different enough to be considered separate subspecies. Also, Missourians are most familiar with the common name "ornate box turtle," so we retain it here.