OHELONIA OR TURTLES. 



arranged that the body is raised free from the ground. 

 The Gopher of the Southern States, a turtle a foot and a 

 half in length, is a member of this family. This turtle 

 burrows in the ground, digging holes five or six feet deep. 



As additional examples of true land turtles, we may 

 mention the little European Land Tortoise, the only tur- 

 tle in Europe ; and the celebrated Galapago Tortoise, of 

 the Galapagos Islands. 



The Terrapins and their allies or Emydoidse constitute 

 by far the largest family of turtles. Most of the mem- 

 bers inhabit bogs, marshes, still streams, and ponds. 

 Some, however, as the Box Turtles, live upon the land; 

 nearly all are perfectly harmless. Their food is both 

 vegetable and animal. Their eggs are more or less elon- 

 gated, and covered with a shell which is in most cases 

 flexible. The Red-bellied Terrapin, Salt-water Terrapin, 

 Painted Turtle, Speckled Tortoise, Wood Tortoise, etc., 

 are members of this family. 



The Mud-turtles or Cinosternoidse are of smaller size 

 than other turtles, and are relatively long and narrow; 

 and some species emit a musky odor. 



The Snapping Turtles or Chelydroidre have the body 

 high in front, low behind, head large, neck large and long, 

 both jaws strongly hooked, the tail long and powerful, 

 and the sternum small. They are aquatic, but are fre- 

 quently found upon the land near the water. They are 

 exceedingly powerful. When molested, they raise them- 

 selves upon their legs and tail, open wide the mouth, and, 

 forcibly throwing the body forward, snap the jaws upon 

 the assailant with fearful power. 



An additional family of fresh-water turtles are those 

 which have soft shells; that is, the shell is not completely 

 ossified, and is therefore more or less flexible. These 



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