128 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



bodies of water and if their destruction is desired in such places the usual 

 procedure is to hunt and trap them continuously throughout the warmer 

 weather. They are a valuable by-product of muskrat farms and the quantity 

 caught and sold from some marshes is remarkably high. The snapper is an 

 esteemed article of food and as such is of considerable economic importance. 



Captive snapping turtles were seen mating under water a number of times. 

 When in coitu the plastrons of both male and female were in parallel planes, 

 with the plastron of the male pressed tightly against the carapace of the 

 female. The male grasped his mate by hooking the claws of all four feet 

 under the edge of her carapace and his tail was curled under hers in such a 

 manner that his anal opening was turned upward to meet hers. He also 

 pressed upon her snout with his chin so that it was necessary for her to keep 

 her head withdrawn. In every case the actions and attitudes were very much 

 the same. Sometimes in struggling, both sexes were seen to bite ineffectually 

 at each other's forelegs. Males occasionally grasped males and one was 

 observed to seize another male rear end foremost. The dates of mating rec- 

 ords of these captive specimens include all the months from April to October 

 and no season of particular activity was noted. 



Snappers deposit their eggs in holes which they dig in sand, soil or vege- 

 table debris. The excavation is funnel-shaped with the narrow part at the 

 surface. Its depth and width depend upon the length of the hind legs which 

 apparently are used exclusively in the digging process. Dirt is brought to the 

 top by the sole of the foot, which is turned upward and rotated to the side 

 to drop its load after it reaches the surface. 



The eggs are deposited one at a time. After all are laid the hole is filled 

 with the excavated dirt, and the excess of the latter is scattered about over the 

 adjacent area so it often is difficult to determine the exact location of the eggs. 

 The eggs are spherical in shape and are white, with one hemisphere pinkish. 

 The shell is tough but rather brittle, and in appearance and bouncing qualities 

 the eggs are quite similar to ping-pong balls. Captive snappers were observed 

 digging and laying on June 29, 1932, and on June 15, 1934. Their eggs were 

 about \y^ inches in diameter. Cahn (1937, 43) states that "from 20 to 30 

 eggs constitute a normal clutch" and that "the eggs measure about 33 mm. 

 on an average." 



The young of two snapping turtles hatched the afternoon of September 

 27, 1931, in the private turtle yard of M. K. Murphy, of Toledo, Ohio. They 

 totalled 41 in number but it was impossible to tell how many were in each 

 group; all were almost exactly the same size except for one runty specimen. 

 Their measurements averaged l]/^ inches in shell length and ly^ inches in 

 width. The nests from which they emerged were examined carefully and one 

 was measured. The neck of the excavation was 1^/2 inches in diameter and 

 I1/2 inches in depth and the chamber below measured 6 inches in diameter 

 and 5 inches in depth. The shells and four unhatched eggs were lying on the 

 bottom as was also the dirt which fell in as the young climbed out. 



