\nThe turtle is adopted as the official State reptile of the State of North Carolina, and the eastern box turtle is designated as the emblem representing the turtles inhabiting North Carolina. (1979, c. 154, s. 1.)
North Carolina Legal Code
§ 145.9
Source: https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_145.html· Version 2026