Photo Above is Amarillo the Redfoot Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria)
In some of my books and videos, I mention box turtles, genus Terrapene. These are amazing turtles that, because of a hinge on their bottom plate–the plastron–can fold up to protect their heads and limbs. No predator can grab an arm if it’s tucked inside a hard shell. You can read about this ability in Don’t Call Me Turtle! When you read this book, you’ll discover the many differences between turtles and tortoises.
![a green book cover with an illustration of a tortoise](https://elaineapowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Dont-Call-Me-Turtle-Cover-300x294.png)
Preschool Crowd
Even though only box turtles have the hinge to fold up, that doesn’t mean there aren’t box-tortoises. I have several in my house! Look at the photos below to see what I mean.
Rose the Redfoot Tortoise fits in her box
![Cantata the Sulcata Tortoise (Geochelone sulcata)](https://elaineapowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Cantata-222x300.png)
Unfortunately, not all the tortoises fit neatly in their box. Some can only get their heads in! Sorry, Cantata – you need a bigger box!
Check out the fun and educational turtle and tortoise workbooks on LyricPower.net.