﻿MUD 
  TURTLE. 
  367 
  

  

  Food 
  Habits. 
  — 
  The 
  Mud 
  Turtle 
  is 
  chiefly 
  carnivorous. 
  Fish 
  and 
  coleopterous 
  insects 
  

   were 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  intestines 
  of 
  two 
  specimens 
  examined 
  by 
  Agassiz. 
  He 
  says 
  (1857, 
  vol. 
  1, 
  

   p. 
  350): 
  "They 
  remind 
  us 
  of 
  the 
  Insectivora 
  among 
  Mammalia, 
  the 
  rapacious 
  habits 
  of 
  which 
  

   are 
  also 
  in 
  strange 
  contrast 
  with 
  their 
  small 
  size 
  and 
  feebleness." 
  In 
  captivity 
  these 
  turtles 
  

   have 
  thrived 
  on 
  chopped 
  fish, 
  earthworms, 
  and 
  raw 
  beef 
  (Ditmars, 
  1907). 
  

  

  Enemies. 
  — 
  Its 
  eggs 
  undoubtedly 
  are 
  devoured 
  by 
  such 
  mammals 
  as 
  the 
  raccoon, 
  skunk, 
  

   and 
  weasel, 
  and 
  by 
  certain 
  snakes, 
  but 
  the 
  musky 
  odor 
  of 
  the 
  adult 
  is 
  probably 
  sufficient 
  to 
  

   discourage 
  a 
  very 
  persistent 
  attempt 
  to 
  get 
  the 
  animal 
  out 
  of 
  its 
  shell. 
  The 
  following 
  is 
  an 
  

   unusual 
  observation. 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  T. 
  Nichols 
  (1914a) 
  observed 
  a 
  large 
  Blue 
  Crab 
  "firmly 
  holding 
  a 
  

   Mud 
  Turtle 
  {Kinosternon 
  pennsylvanicum) 
  of 
  perhaps 
  more 
  than 
  half 
  its 
  size, 
  one 
  of 
  whose 
  

   feet 
  waved 
  helplessly 
  above 
  the 
  surface. 
  The 
  crab 
  probably 
  had 
  it 
  by 
  the 
  neck, 
  and 
  the 
  en- 
  

   counter 
  might 
  well 
  have 
  ended 
  disastrously 
  if 
  not 
  interrupted." 
  

  

  Economic 
  Importance. 
  — 
  These 
  turtles 
  are 
  scavengers, 
  although 
  of 
  course 
  on 
  a 
  relatively 
  

   small 
  scale. 
  They 
  have 
  no 
  food 
  value. 
  

  

  