﻿DIAMOND-BACK 
  TERRAPIN. 
  

  

  393 
  

  

  "Under 
  proper 
  care 
  and 
  with 
  healthy 
  stock 
  the 
  percentage 
  of 
  hatched 
  eggs 
  is 
  remarkably 
  

   high. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  eggs 
  produced 
  by 
  a 
  terrapin 
  is 
  not 
  very 
  large, 
  however, 
  and 
  after 
  being 
  

   placed 
  in 
  captivity 
  apparently 
  a 
  season 
  or 
  two 
  must 
  elapse 
  before 
  the 
  full 
  quota 
  of 
  eggs 
  is 
  laid. 
  

  

  "The 
  following 
  table 
  shows 
  the 
  results 
  attained 
  at 
  Beaufort: 
  

  

  a 
  Eggs 
  not 
  found. 
  

  

  h 
  Twelve 
  young 
  terrapin 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  pen, 
  no 
  eggs 
  observed; 
  1 
  of 
  these 
  died 
  shortly 
  after; 
  1 
  young 
  found 
  the 
  next 
  

   spring 
  placed 
  with 
  this 
  lot. 
  

  

  "Care 
  of 
  the 
  Young 
  Terr.\pins. 
  

  

  "The 
  first 
  young 
  terrapins 
  may 
  be 
  expected 
  toward 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  August, 
  and 
  from 
  that 
  

   time 
  on 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  them 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  crawling 
  about 
  the 
  bed. 
  They 
  will 
  remain 
  

   above 
  ground 
  for 
  only 
  a 
  short 
  time, 
  but 
  during 
  that 
  time 
  if 
  there 
  is 
  any 
  avenue 
  of 
  escape 
  they 
  

   are 
  pretty 
  certain 
  to 
  find 
  it. 
  

  

  "To 
  one 
  who 
  is 
  famihar 
  only 
  with 
  the 
  adult 
  animals 
  the 
  cUmbing 
  ability 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  ones 
  

   is 
  astounding. 
  They 
  can 
  ascend 
  to 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  a 
  rough-board 
  fence 
  with 
  ease 
  and, 
  by 
  selecting 
  

   a 
  corner 
  in 
  which 
  to 
  cUng, 
  can 
  make 
  their 
  way 
  over 
  a 
  concrete 
  wall 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  feet 
  liigh. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  

   certain 
  that 
  a 
  cap 
  board 
  of 
  rough 
  lumber 
  will 
  stop 
  all 
  of 
  them, 
  but 
  dressed 
  lumber 
  or 
  sheet 
  

   metal 
  affords 
  them 
  no 
  foothold, 
  and 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  materials 
  should 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  this 
  way 
  to 
  protect 
  

   the 
  entire 
  egg 
  bed. 
  

  

  "The 
  young 
  terrapins 
  that 
  are 
  noticed 
  crawHng 
  about 
  should 
  be 
  picked 
  up 
  and 
  placed 
  in 
  

   tubs 
  or 
  tanks 
  where 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  kept 
  in 
  the 
  shade 
  and 
  provided 
  with 
  water 
  and 
  food. 
  If 
  left 
  

   to 
  crawl 
  about, 
  they 
  are 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  injured 
  by 
  the 
  heat. 
  

  

  "The 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  ones 
  appear 
  to 
  remain 
  in 
  the 
  nests 
  and 
  under 
  natural 
  condi- 
  

   tions 
  would 
  probably 
  not 
  emerge 
  until 
  the 
  following 
  spring; 
  but 
  to 
  allow 
  this 
  would 
  subject 
  

   them 
  to 
  many 
  dangers, 
  and 
  they 
  should 
  be 
  dug 
  up. 
  It 
  is 
  well 
  to 
  postpone 
  the 
  digging 
  until 
  it 
  

   is 
  reasonably 
  certain 
  that 
  all 
  or 
  nearly 
  all 
  the 
  eggs 
  have 
  hatched, 
  lest 
  eggs 
  that 
  are 
  still 
  incu- 
  

   bating 
  be 
  disturbed. 
  

  

  "The 
  search 
  for 
  the 
  young 
  terrapins 
  can 
  best 
  be 
  made 
  by 
  scraping 
  the 
  sand 
  away 
  with 
  the 
  

   hands, 
  starting 
  at 
  one 
  corner 
  of 
  the 
  egg 
  bed 
  and 
  pulUng 
  back 
  the 
  sand 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  6 
  or 
  8 
  

  

  