124 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



length. That juveniles may be even smaller is shown by Babcock (1919, 360) 

 who states that the "young when newly hatched, are 1/2 ir^ch long." 



Chelydra serpentina (Linne) 

 Snapping Turtle 



Description. — The largest turtle inhabiting the state. Some specimens 

 attain a weight of 40 pounds and a shell length of 14 inches or more. Larg- 

 est adult Ohio specimen (sex undetermined) had a carapace 13 ^J\q inches 

 long; smallest newly hatched juvenile, 1 inch. Carapace rigid and covered 

 with horny plates; subovate and sharply serrate behind. Shell smooth in large 

 adults; smaller specimens rugose and with three well defined longitudinal 

 keels, one median and two lateral. Keels tuberculate, the tubercles with radi- 

 ating ridges which are directed forward and sideward. Scutes normal in num- 

 ber and arrangement; nuchal broad. 



Plastron small, bridge narrow. Gulars most often fused with each other; 

 anals absent or represented by a very small vestigial scale. Head large, flat 

 above and with marked horny ridges. Snout rather pointed, both jaws hooked. 

 Two small barbels at the anterior edge of the chin. 



Tail long, tapering and with a median row of large horny tubercles on the 

 dorsal side. Smaller tubercles on either side and smooth flat scales on the 

 under surface. Skin with numerous warts and small scales, the latter largest 

 on the limbs. 



Carapace some shade of dark olive, brown or black. Head similar and 

 frequently streaked and spotted with black in the lighter specimens. Under 

 surface, including the chin, uniform blackish in very small individuals, mar- 

 bled black and yellowish in small specimens and uniform dull yellow in adults. 

 A yellow area in the center of the ventral side of each marginal in juveniles. 



Specimens examined, 224; specimens preserved, 96; specimens studied, 33. 



Range. — From the Atlantic coast to the Rocky Mountains and from Nova 

 Scotia and southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico; through Mexico and Cen- 

 tral America to Costa Rica. The snapper is widely distributed in Ohio and 

 undoubtedly occurs in every county (Map 30) . Locality records are as 

 follows: 



Adams County: Cedar Mills (TZS 1898). Ashland County: Ruggies Twp. 

 (TZS 440). Ashtabula County: Kingsviile, Conneaut Creek (USNM 51182); 

 near North Kingsviile (TZS 1799); Pymatuning Swamp, near Andover; 3 mi. NE 

 of Richmond Center. Athf.ns County : Near Chauncey (TZS 433). Auglaize 

 County: S shore of Lake St. Mary's on boundary of Mercer and Auglaize Counties 

 (TZS 253). Brown County: White Oak Creek, 1 mi. N of Higginsport (TZS 

 1874). Carroll County: Union Twp. (TZS 544). Clinton County: Near Center- 

 ville, Lee's Creek P. O. (TZS 671). CosHOCTON County: Ohio Canal, W of 

 Newcomerstown (TZS 1859); Willowbrook, Virginia Twp. (OSM 456. 459). 

 Crawford County: Sandusky River, 3 mi. S of Sulphur Springs (TZS 468). 

 Cuyahoga County: Chagrin Falls (CMNH) ; 2 mi. SW of Chagrin Falls; Chagrin 

 River. Mayfield Twp. (TZS 537). DEFIANCE County : Auglaize River, Defiance 

 (USNM 21561); near Florida; Ladd Lake. Milford Twp. (TZS 583). EriE 



