Gould (1957) reported that 22 of 43 _T. carolina_ moved in a homeward
direction when they were released in open fields up to 5.8 miles from
their original points of capture. Turtles oriented themselves by the
sun; homeward headings were inaccurate or lacking on overcast days
and, light reflected from a mirror caused turtles to alter their
courses. Seven of ten turtles released more than 150 miles from home
headed in directions that corresponded most nearly to the headings
last taken (at release-points near home base) and did not necessarily
correspond to the direction of home. Gould's studies point out that
box turtles perhaps practice a kind of "solar navigation." His work
raises the question of whether the movements of box turtles are guided
by the sighting of local landmarks or whether such landmarks alter the
course of movement only when acting as barriers.
In the present study two experiments were made to determine the homing
ability of _T. ornata_. An adult male, taken from his normal home
range in the house pond area and released 1200 feet away in the
southern ravine area, traveled a generally northward course (not
northeastward in the direction of home) for five days, moving a
distance of approximately 1900 feet. His detached trailer was
recovered several days later 740 feet southeast of the last known
point in his travels (a distance that could have been covered in two
days) and 150 feet from the point of original capture; he had returned
to his home range by a circuitous route in a period of approximately
seven days. Another adult male, captured in the southern ravine area,
and released in the house pond area 1900 feet away, traveled on a
course that bore approximately 25 degrees north of true homeward
direction; after five days he was approximately 600 feet north of the
original capture point. He then began a northeastward course that took
him back to the house pond area where he remained for several days; no
further data are available for this individual. It is significant that
the homing males discussed above traveled greater average distances
per day (based on records for nine days of trailing) than any of the
other turtles studied (Fig. 27). Fitch (1958:101) released an
individual one half mile from where he captured it and, one year
later, recovered the turtle near the point of release.