I have posted on home range before, but after reading some more on the subject, I thought I'd share what I found with you all. I think natural home range is important because it gives us an idea of how much space box turtles and tortoises really need. Below is a list of several species of box turtle and tortoises, with their natural home range size listed for each sex.
Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina)
Male - 1.20 ha
Female - 1.13 ha
Source: Stickel (1989)
Male - 5.6 ha
Female - 6.3 ha
Source: Ernst and Lovich (2009)
Western box turtle (Terrapene ornata)
Male - 5.8 ha
Female - 2.7 ha
Source: Bernstein et al. (2006)
Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)
Male - 1.44 ha
Female - 0.14 ha
Source: McRae et al. (1981)
Male - 2.9 ha
Female - 0.7 ha
Source: Wright (1982)
Male - 2.17 ha
Female - 0.12 ha
Source: McLaughlin (1990)
Male - 0.88 ha
Female - 0.31 ha
Source: Diemer (1992)
Male - 5.3 ha
Female - 1.1 ha
Source: Smith et al. (1997)
California desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
Male - 46.3 ha
Female - 16.8 ha
Source: Franks et al. (2011)
Greek tortoise (Testudo graeca)
Male - 2.56 ha
Female - 1.15 ha
Source: Anadon et al. (2006)
Hermann tortoise (Testudo hermanni)
Male - 2.4 ha
Female - 1.6 ha
Source: Swingland et al. (1986)
Male - 1.2 ha
Female - 2.4 ha
Source: Hailey (1989)
Male - 0.7 ha
Female - 1.5 ha
Source: Calzolai and Chelazzi (1991)
Male - 3.3 ha
Female - 4.2 ha
Source: Bossuto et al. (2000)
Male - 4.6 ha
Female - 7.4 ha
Source: Mazzotti et al. (2002)
Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldi)
Male - 24.0 ha
Female - 57.0 ha
Source: Lagarde et al. (2003)
I think the take-home message for all this is that it seems as though home range size is variable, not only among species, but also within species, probably because the fewer resources these animals have, the more they have to roam when foraging. So, although box turtles and tortoises do require a lot of space, they probably don't need as much space in captivity as they do in the wild because they are provisioned with food and water, and so they don't have to go looking for them as much.
Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina)
Male - 1.20 ha
Female - 1.13 ha
Source: Stickel (1989)
Male - 5.6 ha
Female - 6.3 ha
Source: Ernst and Lovich (2009)
Western box turtle (Terrapene ornata)
Male - 5.8 ha
Female - 2.7 ha
Source: Bernstein et al. (2006)
Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)
Male - 1.44 ha
Female - 0.14 ha
Source: McRae et al. (1981)
Male - 2.9 ha
Female - 0.7 ha
Source: Wright (1982)
Male - 2.17 ha
Female - 0.12 ha
Source: McLaughlin (1990)
Male - 0.88 ha
Female - 0.31 ha
Source: Diemer (1992)
Male - 5.3 ha
Female - 1.1 ha
Source: Smith et al. (1997)
California desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
Male - 46.3 ha
Female - 16.8 ha
Source: Franks et al. (2011)
Greek tortoise (Testudo graeca)
Male - 2.56 ha
Female - 1.15 ha
Source: Anadon et al. (2006)
Hermann tortoise (Testudo hermanni)
Male - 2.4 ha
Female - 1.6 ha
Source: Swingland et al. (1986)
Male - 1.2 ha
Female - 2.4 ha
Source: Hailey (1989)
Male - 0.7 ha
Female - 1.5 ha
Source: Calzolai and Chelazzi (1991)
Male - 3.3 ha
Female - 4.2 ha
Source: Bossuto et al. (2000)
Male - 4.6 ha
Female - 7.4 ha
Source: Mazzotti et al. (2002)
Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldi)
Male - 24.0 ha
Female - 57.0 ha
Source: Lagarde et al. (2003)
I think the take-home message for all this is that it seems as though home range size is variable, not only among species, but also within species, probably because the fewer resources these animals have, the more they have to roam when foraging. So, although box turtles and tortoises do require a lot of space, they probably don't need as much space in captivity as they do in the wild because they are provisioned with food and water, and so they don't have to go looking for them as much.