Breed in f^ Ihihits. Mating in this species may take place in fall 

 or spring. Spring mating seems most frequent. The male pursues 

 the female for some time but there is no complex courtship. 



The female deposits her eggs during June or early July. They 

 are laid in a variety of places, but old muskrat lodges, rotten 

 stumps, and the soil beneath a fallen log are common locations. 

 Often a number of females will lay on the same muskrat house. 

 Occasionally eggs are deposited in the open, where, owing to their 

 thick shell, they may complete development. 



Food. Almost anything of living origin may be eaten by the 

 Musk Turtle. It prefers flesh, such as fish and tadpoles, but will cat 

 refuse and decaying water plants. 



Although plain in appearance, this species is easily kept in an 

 aquarium. It is almost wholly aquatic and can get along without 

 sunning itself; in fact, the adults probably do not sun themselves 

 out of the water at all. Because of its pugnacity it is easy to get a 

 new specimen to eat in captivity by tapping its snout with a piece 

 of meat. Incidentally, the Musk Turtle prefers to do its eating un- 

 der water. 



THE SNAPPING TURTLES 



(Chelydridae) 



This family includes but two North American forms — the Alli- 

 gator Snapper of the southern United States and the Snapping 

 Turtle. Both are large, horny-shelled, pugnacious turtles, with a 

 large crest of plates along the tail. 



Snapping Turtle (Chclydra scrpciititia) 



Appearance. The Snapping Turtle is our largest and most pugna- 

 cious turtle — and the one most commonly eaten by man. Its heavy 

 upper shell has three longitudinal ridges. In a young turtle the 

 scales are very rough and the ridges prominent, but thcv become 

 increasingly smooth with age. However, the posterior toothing of 

 the upper shell and the prominent projecting plates on the top of 



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