damage their populations, as these turtles have a low reproduction rate. State reptiles Box turtles are official state reptiles of four U.S. states. North Carolina and Tennessee honor the eastern box turtle. Missouri names the three-toed box turtle. Kansas honors the ornate box turtle. In Pennsylvania, the eastern box turtle made it through one house of the legislature, but failed to win final naming in 2009. In Virginia, bills to honor the eastern box turtle failed in 1999 and then in 2009. In opposition one legislator had asked why Virginia would make an official emblem of an animal that retreats into its shell when frightened. What may have mattered most in Virginia, though, was the creature's close link to neighbor state North Carolina. Photos See also Asian box turtle References Bibliography External links ITIS Article on box turtle natural history and care Webpage on box turtle care and conservation Turtles of North America Reptiles of Mexico Reptiles of the United States Species endangered by the pet trade