Reptiles and Amphibians of Illinois. 239 



Carapace about four inches long, smooth, elongate, strongly 

 convex, abruptly rounded behind, margins entire or slightly 

 sinuate. Nuchal plate small, widest behind. Dorsals widest 

 in front. Costals very large, transverse; marginals small and 

 elongate. Plastron rounded before, truncate behind. Pectorals 

 very much narrowed towards the middle line, forming no part 

 of the bridge between plastron and carapace. Abdominals 

 very large, wings with a deep groove behind. Axillary small 

 and elongate; inguinal large, the two almost meeting between 

 the wings of the pectorals and the marginals of the carapace. 

 Preauals with strongly rounded outer margins. Head large, 

 contracted towards the snout; jaws strong, the upper toothed. 

 Chin with two tentacles; two other tentacles situated farther 

 back on the throat. Legs short and strong, the anterior with 

 a few tranverse scales above and a few small ones on the palm, 

 posterior with scales on the soles but with no transverse ones 

 above; digits 5-4, with imbricated scales above, claws sharp and 

 curved. Skin of the posterior part of the body and of the tail 

 tuberculate, the latter with a terminal nail. 



Olive-brown above, uniform or with a few small blackish 

 spots; yellowish beneath, with the sutures and margins of the 

 plates dark. Head brown above with paler spots and lines. 

 Iris brown. 



Length of shell, 3.62; width, 2.62; depth, 1.50 



Southern Hlinois, not rare. Peoria (Brendel), Mt. Carrael, 

 common (Ridgway). 



A small, obscurely-colored species, readily recognized by its 

 single gular plate, convex shell, large head, with plate above, 

 and gular tentacles. In the form of its head it resembles the 

 snapping turtle and, like that reptile, bites viciously, though 

 from its small size it is less to be feared. It preys largely on 

 fishes, and will occasionally take the bait of the angler. The 

 species is southern in its distribution and is probably not com- 

 mon in this State away from the southern counties. It fre- 

 quents muddy ditches by roadsides and the stagnant waters of 

 swamps. The eggs are elongate. 



