I normally see 2 or 3 a year alive. Now I have a new place to trap and in one very small location there are 6 empty shell with the base still attached and there are no teeth marks on them. This is along a RR grade right next to the swamp and there are otter there and eagles too. What do you all think killed all these turtles? there is no sign of damage to the shells, they are totally empty and hae been there for a little while it looks. thanks guy and Happy New Years......jk

My guess would be a snake.

BoP?

I agree with Yukon John. Some will have a favorite tree or two and leave the remains on the ground below.

Late or early cold snap, some disease?

Railroads spray herbicides to keep plants off of and back from the tracks at least twice a year. I've see pretty impressive sized trees die after being sprayed by the railroads. It can't be good for box turtles to eat plants with those herbicides on them.

Keith

They also eat worms that have pesticide's and herbicides in them

Only found one in 70 + years in northern Ohio.
From what I've read , they live in about one square mile.
If you move them to another area, they become confused and can't find food.
I don't know, just what I've read about them.

Winter kill. They burrow generally. If the ground is too dry, or there isn't enough leaf litter to get under, they die.

I find them every time I go there, no matter what season. they are usually within a 15 X 15 foot area???? So not winter kill but some how the spray and then something gathers them up there????/

Otter kill em then ants eat the remains.

A lot of people state box turtles die when moved to a new location. I know this is untrue because I established breeding populations of box turtles, that experienced rapid growth, in woods that were extirpated of box turtles, by introducing adult box turtles from other woods, that weren't even close. They were woods I trapped and box turtle numbers grew large, with especially large numbers of young turtles.

I did the same with Fowler's and American toads and Creek Chubs and Stone Rollers. I tried it with Eastern Fence Lizards, without success.

Keith