Step 1 : Introduction to the question "Which U.S. state selected the ornate box turtle as its official state reptile?"
...The ornate box turtle is one of only two of its kind of land-dwelling turtles living on the Great Plains of America. The prairies and pastures are the favorite bits of real estate for these ornate box turtles. Their habitat ranges from the wilds of South Dakota, all the way down to southern Arizona and the Rio Grande valley. Kansas decided in 1986 to name these gentle creatures the official state reptile. The idea came from an elementary class in Caldwell, Kansas. Because of its official designation, it is illegal to take one of these turtles from the wild and keep it as a pet in Kansas. Source: StateSymbolUSA.org
