Box turtle (box turtle)

Japanese: ハコガメ(箱亀) - ハコガメ（英語表記）box turtle

A general term for turtles belonging to the family Erididae whose plastron is hinged in the center. There are 9 species of box turtles in 5 genera in Asia, and 6 species in 2 genera in North America. Box turtles are characterized by a hinge that movably connects the pectoral and ventral plates of the plastron, and when startled, they retract their head and neck, limbs, and tail into the shell, then lift the front and rear halves of the plastron to tightly cover the gaps in the shell. The yellow-margined box turtle Cistoclemmys flavomarginata (illustration), found on Ishigaki Island, Iriomote Island, Taiwan, and China, has a carapace length of 14 to 17 cm, a slightly high carapace, and is terrestrial, often found in damp forest areas.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

ヌマガメ科に属するカメのうち，腹甲の中央部がちょうつがい式に連結したものの総称。ハコガメ類はアジアに5属9種，北アメリカに2属6種が分布する。ハコガメの特徴は腹甲の胸甲板と腹甲板とがちょうつがいhingeで可動的に連結していることで，驚くと頭頸（とうけい）部，四肢，尾部を甲内に引っ込めたあと，腹甲の前･後半部をもち上げて，甲の隙間にぴったりとふたをしてしまう。石垣島，西表島，台湾，中国に分布するセマルハコガメCistoclemmys flavomarginata（イラスト）は甲長14～17cm，背甲はやや高く，陸生で森林の湿った場所に多い。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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