▁eastern ▁box ▁t urt le ▁sub species ▁was ▁the ▁one ▁recognized ▁by ▁Lin na eus . ▁ ▁The ▁other ▁five ▁sub species ▁were ▁first ▁class ified ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁In ▁addition , ▁one ▁ext inct ▁sub species , ▁T . ▁c . ▁put n ami , ▁is ▁distinguished . ▁ ▁Sub species ▁ ▁Par enth eses ▁around ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁an ▁authority ▁indicate ▁that ▁he ▁originally ▁described ▁the ▁sub species ▁in ▁a ▁genus ▁other ▁than ▁Ter rap ene . ▁ ▁Description ▁ ▁The ▁common ▁box ▁t urt le ▁( T er rap ene ▁car ol ina ) ▁gets ▁its ▁common ▁name ▁from ▁the ▁structure ▁of ▁its ▁shell ▁which ▁consists ▁of ▁a ▁high ▁dom ed ▁car ap ace ▁( upper ▁shell ), ▁and ▁large , ▁h ing ed ▁pl astr on ▁( lower ▁shell ) ▁which ▁allows ▁the ▁t urt le ▁to ▁close ▁the ▁shell , ▁se aling ▁its ▁vulner able ▁head ▁and ▁lim bs ▁safely ▁within ▁an ▁im pre gn able ▁box . ▁The ▁car ap ace ▁is ▁brown , ▁often ▁ad orn ed ▁with ▁a ▁variable ▁pattern ▁of ▁orange ▁or ▁yellow ▁lines , ▁sp ots , ▁bars ▁or ▁bl ot ches . ▁The ▁pl astr on ▁is ▁dark ▁brown ▁and ▁may ▁be ▁uniformly ▁col oured , ▁or ▁show ▁dark er ▁bl ot ches ▁or ▁sm ud ges . ▁ ▁The ▁common ▁box ▁t urt le ▁has ▁a ▁small ▁to ▁moder ately ▁s ized ▁head ▁and ▁a ▁distinct ive ▁hook ed ▁upper ▁j aw . ▁The ▁majority ▁of