If denizens of the Great Smoky Mountains pull together to give their official reptilian symbol its due, perhaps the eastern box turtle will, as North Carolina’s enabling legislation states ...

The eastern box turtle represents holding on and surviving, sticking its neck out, which led to its status as a state symbol for NC and Tennessee.

Though eastern box turtles continue to face many challenges, Apodaca said, “we’ve seen a lot more effort in the last decade or so” to conserve them. If denizens of the Great Smoky Mountains pull ...