Roxy
Box Turtle Ambassador
Female
2022
Confiscation
About Roxy
Roxy joined Liberty Wildlife after being taken from a facility by Arizona Game and Fish due to unfit conditions. She was obese and needed to go on a strict diet to get healthy.
Description
A small "boxy" turtle that gets only to about 4-6" when grown and can fully retract its head and legs into its shell.
Habitat
Usually found in grasslands and on land rather than in water; they have been found in all habitat types mostly in the southeast region of Arizona, though most references indicate they prefer open grass or prairie lands.
Range
A large part of the Midwest, from Wisconsin to the Gulf of Mexico and from Louisiana to Colorado.
Life Span
The Ornate Box Turtle has been reported to have a life span of 32 to 37 years.
Prey / Food
As an omnivore and opportunistic feeder, the ornate box eats whatever is available in any given location or season. Grasses, berries, insects and other invertebrates (caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles, earthworms), fruits, vegetables, and carrion
Babies / Nests
Mates in spring and fall and buries a clutch of up to 8 eggs in a shallow, moist nest within well drained soil. Females are capable of retaining the eggs until conditions are right for nest building.
Native American Folklore
Lakota mothers make a leather amulet shaped like a Keya (Lakota for turtle) for their newborn babies. They place their child’s umbilical cord within and sew them closed for protection. The amulet keeps the child grounded and connected to its mother and Grand Mother Earth.
The creation story of Turtle Island is shared by many Tribes and places the emphasis on Turtle as the symbol of life and earth.
In Ojibwe oral tradition the story of Turtle Island begins with a huge flood that cleansed the world, so life could begin anew. Some animals like Loon, Muskrat and Turtle survived the flood. Nanabush, a supernatural being who could create life, also survived the flood. Nanabush asked the animals to dive deep into the flood waters and collect soil that could be used to recreate the world. One by one the animals tried and one by one they failed. Finally, Muskrat dove deep underwater for a very long time and when he surfaced, he held up a paw full of wet soil. The underwater journey took Muskrat’s life, but he did not die in vain as Nanabush took the soil and placed it on Turtle’s back, creating a new world as we know it today with trees, mountains and rivers. This new earth became known as Turtle Island, the center of creation.
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