Natural History of the Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata Agassiz Part 16

Few natural enemies other than man are known; however most wild carnivores as well as opossums, large birds, and domestic dogs and cats are suspect as predators. The incidence of predation on eggs and small juveniles is far greater than on older juveniles and adults.

Adults of _T. ornata_ occasionally attack smaller individuals.

Ornate box turtles are able to detect the presence of intruders, by sight, from a distance of several hundred feet in open country; apparently, intruders are not detected until seen. Defensive behavior is pa.s.sive; the sh.e.l.l is closed tightly in response to painful stimuli and, in some instances, at the sight of an intruder. Juveniles usually void odoriferous fluid from the musk glands when handled but adults do so only in response to pain or injury. The function of the musk glands is unknown; possibly the odor of musk is a means of s.e.xual identification or stimulation. Although the musk is probably distasteful to predators, repellent odor alone seems to be of doubtful value as a defense mechanism.

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