box turtle
Refers to turtles of the genus Terrapene, known for their hinged plastron that allows them to close their shell tightly.
Box turtles close their shells when they sense danger.
Katakana spelling is common for animal names; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is understandable but less common; learners may encounter it in field guides or formal contexts.
Compound of 箱 (hako, 'box') and 亀 (kame, 'turtle'), referring to the turtle's ability to enclose itself like a box.