Weights of ornate box turtles varied so much that no attempt was made
to correlate weight with size. Absolute weights have little
significance since weight is affected to a large extent by the amount
of fluid in the body. Turtles that had recently imbibed were naturally
heavier than those that had not; turtles brought to the laboratory and
kept there for several days lost weight by evaporation and by voiding
water. Weights of 22 adult females (53 records) and 10 adult males (22
records) averaged 391 and 353 grams respectively, in the period from
September, 1954, to October, 1956. Females characteristically gained
weight in spring and early summer and were lighter after nesting.
Turtles of both sexes gained weight in September and October.