﻿374 
  BABCOCK: 
  NEW 
  ENGLAND 
  TURTLES. 
  

  

  Pseudemys 
  rubriventris 
  (Le 
  Conte). 
  

  

  Red-bellied 
  Terrapin; 
  Slider; 
  Cooter. 
  

  

  Plate 
  24. 
  

  

  Testudo 
  rubriventris 
  Le 
  Conte, 
  Ann. 
  Lye. 
  Nat. 
  Hist. 
  New 
  York, 
  1830, 
  vol. 
  3, 
  p. 
  lOL 
  

   Pseudemys 
  rubriventris 
  Loennberg, 
  Proc. 
  U. 
  S. 
  Nat. 
  Mus., 
  Nov. 
  15, 
  1894, 
  vol. 
  17, 
  p. 
  318. 
  

  

  The 
  Red-bellied 
  Terrapin 
  is 
  the 
  largest 
  fresh-water 
  terrapin 
  occurring 
  in 
  New 
  England. 
  

  

  Size. 
  — 
  This 
  species 
  reaches 
  a 
  length 
  (carapace) 
  of 
  twelve 
  inches 
  or 
  shghtly 
  over. 
  The 
  

   dimensions 
  of 
  a 
  male 
  which 
  I 
  captured 
  in 
  Plymouth, 
  Massachusetts, 
  June, 
  1916, 
  are: 
  length 
  

   of 
  carapace 
  (in 
  a 
  straight 
  line), 
  10| 
  inches; 
  length 
  following 
  curve 
  of 
  carapace, 
  11; 
  -nidth 
  in 
  a 
  

   straight 
  hue, 
  7; 
  mdth 
  follo^\ing 
  curve 
  of 
  carapace, 
  lOJ; 
  height, 
  4; 
  sternal 
  length, 
  Qg; 
  sternal 
  

   wddth, 
  5|. 
  

  

  Color. 
  — 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  ^\ide 
  variation 
  in 
  the 
  color 
  pattern 
  of 
  this 
  turtle. 
  In 
  general 
  the 
  cara- 
  

   pace 
  is 
  a 
  mottled 
  oUve 
  or 
  brown 
  with 
  irregular 
  transverse 
  bands 
  of 
  deep 
  red 
  or 
  black. 
  The 
  

   marginals 
  have 
  a 
  reddish 
  central 
  band. 
  The 
  plastron 
  is 
  red 
  or 
  dark 
  orange. 
  Head, 
  neck, 
  and 
  

   extremities 
  are 
  dark 
  brown 
  or 
  black 
  with 
  irregular 
  red 
  and 
  black 
  lines, 
  more 
  marked 
  on 
  throat 
  

   and 
  neck. 
  Individuals 
  in 
  young-adult 
  Ufe 
  are 
  more 
  vividly 
  colored 
  than 
  when 
  very 
  young 
  or 
  

   old. 
  

  

  Description. 
  — 
  The 
  characteristics 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  are: 
  the 
  high 
  and 
  laterally 
  constricted 
  

   carapace, 
  the 
  strongly 
  serrated 
  upper 
  and 
  lower 
  jaws, 
  their 
  very 
  broad 
  horizontal 
  alveolar 
  

   surface, 
  and 
  the 
  prominent 
  hooks 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  median 
  notch 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  jaw. 
  The 
  

   carapace 
  is 
  fairly 
  smooth 
  (rugose 
  in 
  aged 
  individuals) 
  and 
  is 
  not 
  keeled. 
  The 
  plastron 
  is 
  heavy 
  

   and 
  wide 
  and 
  is 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  carapace 
  by 
  a 
  strongly 
  developed 
  bridge. 
  The 
  tail 
  is 
  short. 
  

   The 
  feet 
  are 
  webbed 
  and 
  the 
  toes 
  possess 
  very 
  long 
  claws; 
  the 
  front 
  feet 
  also 
  possess 
  a 
  row 
  of 
  

   large 
  scales 
  on 
  their 
  outer 
  edge. 
  

  

  Geographic 
  Distribution. 
  — 
  This 
  terrapin 
  has 
  a 
  limited 
  range. 
  Holbrook 
  (1842, 
  vol. 
  1, 
  

   p. 
  55) 
  restricted 
  it 
  to 
  the 
  region 
  between 
  the 
  Delaware 
  River 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  

   on 
  the 
  south. 
  It 
  is 
  now 
  known 
  as 
  far 
  south 
  as 
  Florida, 
  west 
  to 
  eastern 
  Ohio, 
  and 
  north 
  to 
  

   Massachusetts, 
  whence 
  it 
  was 
  reported 
  by 
  me 
  in 
  Copeia, 
  no. 
  38, 
  Dec. 
  24, 
  1916. 
  Dr. 
  F. 
  A. 
  

   Lucas 
  states 
  that 
  he 
  has 
  known 
  of 
  its 
  occurrence 
  in 
  Plymouth 
  since 
  1869. 
  

  

  New 
  England 
  Recoi'ds. 
  — 
  The 
  Red-belUed 
  Terrapin 
  has 
  been 
  known 
  for 
  some 
  years 
  to 
  

   inliabit 
  certain 
  ponds 
  in 
  Plymouth 
  County, 
  eastern 
  Massachusetts, 
  where 
  it 
  remains 
  localized. 
  

   Nor 
  is 
  it 
  recorded 
  from 
  any 
  intervening 
  point 
  between 
  Plymouth 
  County 
  and 
  New 
  

   York 
  and 
  New 
  JerseJ^ 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  taken 
  or 
  observed 
  in 
  Gunner's 
  Exchange, 
  Hoyt, 
  Island, 
  

  

  