box turtle

box turtle

n.

Any of several North American land turtles of the genus Terrapene having a hinged plastron that pulls up against the carapace, allowing the animal to become completely encased within its shell. Also called box tortoise.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

box turtle - chiefly terrestrial turtle of North America; shell can be closed tightly box tortoise turtle - any of various aquatic and land reptiles having a bony shell and flipper-like limbs for swimming genus Terrapene, Terrapene - box turtles Terrapene ornata, Western box turtle - primarily a prairie turtle of western United States and northern Mexico