[2] The most obvious morphological feature of box turtles is their bony boxy shell that consists of scutes covering the carapace.

[3] The box turtle also has the ability to create a tight seal by closing the plastron upward to fit snugly against the carapace through a movable hinge between its pectoral and abdominal structures assuring the closure of the shell (Figure 1).

Male box turtles also include concave plastrons, thicker tails with the cloaca closer to the tip, and longer rear legs with larger curved claws which are used to grip the female shell during mating.

The western extent of their distribution is likely Tucson, Arizona, and the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, in Pima County; they have been sighted as far north in the state as Apache Junction, as well as outside of Phoenix.

In New Mexico, desert box turtles are known from as far north as Albuquerque and Roswell, and from such protected areas as the Bosque del Apache, San Andres and the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuges.

[3] Desert box turtles have relatively small home territories, and they exhibit strong site fidelity, seeming to show an affinity to the area of their hatching.

[6] Desert box turtles usually prefer to breed during wetter spring seasons, as egg production is increased, rather than drier springtimes.

Females normally require 10–11 years to reach sexual maturity and their breeding season lasts between March and May, and nesting sites will be chosen from May to July.

[9] Box turtles in North America are increasingly becoming a conservation concern because of habitat loss and because they are being harvested for the pet trade.

[2] The destruction of prairies due to land renovations has led to the decline of the desert box turtles (Terrapene ornata luteola) across much of their geographical range.

But efforts have been placed by land management organizations by considering the use of translocation programs in order to restore the desert box turtle's population to areas specifically reserved for them.