▁adult ▁male ▁common ▁box ▁t urt les ▁have ▁red ▁ir ises , ▁while ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁female ▁are ▁yellow ish - b rown . ▁M ales ▁also ▁differ ▁from ▁females ▁by ▁possess ing ▁shorter , ▁stock ier ▁and ▁more ▁cur ved ▁cla ws ▁on ▁their ▁h ind ▁feet , ▁and ▁longer ▁and ▁th icker ▁t ails . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁six ▁living ▁sub species ▁of ▁the ▁common ▁box ▁t urt le , ▁each ▁differ ing ▁slightly ▁in ▁appearance , ▁namely ▁in ▁the ▁colour ▁and ▁pattern ing ▁of ▁the ▁car ap ace , ▁and ▁the ▁possession ▁of ▁either ▁three ▁or ▁four ▁to es ▁on ▁each ▁h ind ▁foot . ▁The ▁sub species ▁Ter rap ene ▁car ol ina ▁tri ung uis ▁is ▁particularly ▁distinct ive ▁as ▁most ▁males ▁have ▁a ▁bright ▁red ▁head . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁The ▁common ▁box ▁t urt le ▁inhab its ▁open ▁wood lands , ▁road ▁sides , ▁road ▁m idd les , ▁mar sh y ▁me adows , ▁flo od pla ins , ▁scr ub ▁for ests ▁and ▁br ush y ▁grass lands ▁in ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁eastern ▁United ▁States , ▁from ▁Maine ▁and ▁Michigan ▁to ▁eastern ▁Texas ▁and ▁south ▁Florida . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁Canada ▁in ▁southern ▁Ontario ▁and ▁in ▁Mexico ▁along ▁the ▁G ulf ▁Coast ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁Y uc at án ▁Pen ins ula . ▁The ▁species ▁range ▁is ▁not ▁continuous ▁as ▁the ▁two ▁Mexican ▁sub species , ▁T . ▁c . ▁mex icana ▁( M ex ican ▁box ▁t urt le ) ▁and ▁T