16 2022 Annual Report
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Service
O r n a t e B o x T u r t l e n a m e d s t a t e r e p t i l e
Until 2022, Nebraska did not have a state reptile. But in October, during the annually
celebrated Nebraska Reptile Month, Gov. Pete Ricketts proclaimed the Ornate Box Turtle as
the State Reptile. It joins the state bird, state migratory bird, state fish and state mammal in
highlighting the importance of Nebraska's wildlife to our state. The box turtle is the state's only
land turtle and is found in short, mixed and tallgrass prairies; the turtle is most commonly found
in the Sandhills. Other Nebraska reptiles include snakes and lizards.
Ornate box turtle,
Sandhills
Gov. Pete Ricketts and
Game and Parks educator
Monica Macoubrie
