When she first met the eastern box turtle named Pokey, Cleo Bowen-Wiggins was still in diapers — far too young to recognize ...

The eastern box turtle represents holding on and surviving, sticking its neck out, which led to its status as a state symbol ...

Estimates of its value range from $7-23 billion annually. Ryan Kellman / NPR The 40-some box turtles have a more immediate problem. They’re evidence of a crime and its victims.

Box turtles have high home territory fidelity and often stay in the same home range their entire lives. And speaking of their entire lives, these turtles can live upwards of 30 years.

Every box turtle has a story to tell. These charismatic, long-lived turtles are omnivorous and use both land and water ...

The result was House Bill 401, authored by state Rep. Perry Stambaugh (R-Perry/Juniata), that would add the Eastern box turtle (Terrapene Carolina Carolina) to the list of Pennsylvania state symbols.

For some of the seized box turtles, temporarily housed at the Fish and Wildlife Service office, their long-term home is likely to be a couple hours drive north, at The Turtle Conservancy in Ojai ...

Since 2017, the conservancy, which is closed to the public, has taken in about 500 confiscated turtles, including about 100 box turtles in just the last year.