Terrapene ornata luteola, New Mexico
This was one of the two box turtles I found in a desert site south of Albuquerque in August 2007. A sandy habitat with grasses in which Artemesia filifolia, Opuntia cymochilla, O. erinacea and Yucca glauca dominated. Other animals sharing this habitat: many grasshoppers (Melanoplus bowditchi), lizards: Uta stansburiana, Cophosaurus texana, Aspidoscelis neomexicanus, Gambelia wislizenii and centipedes (Scolopendra polymorpha)
Tags: south of Albuquerque
