A number of observations on speed were made in the field where distance traveled and time elapsed were known approximately. Speeds ranged from 20 to 100 feet per hour in the course of foraging. Higher speeds (400 or more feet in one hour) were for turtles moving along pathways or seeking shelter. Gould (1957:346) observed somewhat faster speeds in T. carolina (192 feet per hour in cloudy weather and 348 feet per hour in sunny weather); he observed individuals that had been removed from their normal home ranges.
Individuals of T. ornata that were placed in water swam moderately well but were clumsy in comparison to individuals of more aquatic emyids such as Pseudemys and Chrysemys. Box turtles were never observed to swim voluntarily, although they were frequently found in shallow water. On several occasions I confronted individuals at the edge of a pond so that the only unblocked route for their escape was through deeper water; nearly always these individuals attempted to crawl past me, to crawl away in shallow water parallel to the shore, or to hide in soft mud at the edge of the water. Box turtles floated high in the water with the dorsal side upward and had little difficulty in righting themselves when turned over. The head and neck are extended and submerged when the turtle is swimming; forward progress is interrupted every few moments to elevate the head, presumably for purposes of breathing and orientation. The shell is never submerged. The swimming of T. ornata is in general like that of Pseudemys or Chrysemys that have become dehydrated after long periods out of water and cannot submerge. These more aquatic turtles, however, quickly overcome their bouyancy, whereas examples of T. ornata, even if left in water for several days, are unable to submerge. Clarke (1950) saw an ornate box turtle swim a 60-foot-wide stream in Osage County, Kansas; his description of swimming agrees with that given above.
The meager swimming ability of T. ornata is of apparent survival value under unusual conditions and enables T. ornata to traverse bodies of water that would act as geographic barriers to completely terrestrial reptiles; however, swimming is a mode of locomotion seldom used under ordinary circumstances.
Gehlbach (1956:366) and Norris and Zweifel (1950:2) observed individuals of T. o. luteola swimming in temporary rain pools and small ponds in New Mexico; the two authors last named saw an individual quickly enter a pond and dive beneath the water after being startled on the bank. Several of my colleagues, in conversation, have also reported seeing T. o. luteola in small bodies of water in the southwestern United States.
Daily Cycle of Activity
The daily cycle of T. ornata consists basically of periods of basking, foraging, and rest that vary in length depending upon environmental conditions. Turtles emerge from burrows, forms, and other places of concealment soon after dawn and ordinarily bask for at least a few minutes before beginning to forage; foraging is combined sometimes with basking, especially in open areas that are suitable for both kinds of activity. Foraging usually continues until shelter is sought sometime between mid-morning and noon. Turtles remain under cover (or continue to forage in shaded areas) until mid-afternoon or late afternoon when they again become active. They forage in both morning and afternoon. Study of travel records of a few of the turtles equipped with trailers suggests that, under normal conditions, activity is slightly greater in forenoon than in afternoon, but that the converse is true of gravid females seeking nesting sites. Strecker (1908:79) reported that captive T. ornata, after developing a feeding reflex, ate and retired until feeding time next day.
As environmental temperatures rise in summer, the period of mid-day quiescence is lengthened. In the hottest part of the year, some turtles remain under cover for several days at a time. In periods of clear, cool weather at the beginning and end of the growing season, some turtles remain abroad and bask for most of the day.
Examination of thread trails showed that activity of all individuals except nesting females was terminated at dusk. Breder (1927:236), Allard (1935:336), and Stickel (1950:358) reported a corresponding lack of nocturnal activity in T. carolina. Terrapene o. ornata in Kansas, and T. o. luteola in New Mexico (Norris and Zweifel, 1950:2)—unlike desert tortoises, Gopherus agassizi, which are active at night in hot weather (Woodbury and Hardy, 1948:186)—do not utilize the hours of darkness for foraging, even in the hottest part of the year.
Seasonal Cycle of Activity
Data obtained by mapping the movements of turtles that were equipped with trailing devices made it possible to compare distances traveled in the course of daily activities at different times of the year. Some of these data are expressed graphically in [Figure 27]. It should be noted that movement at all times in the season of activity was uneven; that is to say, an individual would move several hundred feet each day for a period of several days, and then, for an interval of one to several days, move only a few feet from one shelter to another, or not move at all. Such periods of rest could not be correlated definitely with environmental conditions; some individuals were inactive on days that were probably ideal (in terms of moderately warm temperatures and high humidity) for activity of box turtles. Analagous rest periods were noted in T. carolina by Stickel (1950:358).