476 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



This species probably devours dead fish or other animals found in the 

 water. Its principal diet, however, as evidenced by a number of stomachs 

 examined, appears to consist of crawfishes. 



This turtle has few enemies and would be able to escape almost anything 

 that attempted to capture it. A good many young appear to perish during 

 their first winter. The stomachs of some examples studied were infested by 

 a few parasitic round worms, but we have no evidence that these cause much 

 injury. Unlike the scute-bearing turtles, this species is never covered with 

 algae or other organisms, although one example was found in 1906 which 

 had the plastron covered with a growth of Opercularia. 



This turtle may be readily distinguished from all other turtles of the lake 

 by the flat body, covered ^\ath a smooth leathery skin flexible at the mar- 

 gins. Color, olive-green, with dark spots; head and neck olive-green with 

 light and dark stripes; legs and feet mottled with dark. The male has the 

 tubercles on the front of the carapace smaller than in the female, the body 

 longer, and the tail extending considerably beyond the carapace. 



2. Chelydra serpeniina (Linnaeus). 

 Snapping Turtle. 



The Snapping Turtle is of verj- wide distribution, its habitat extending 

 from Nova Scotia to the equator and west to the Rocky Mountains. It is 

 doubtless found in every stream and pond in Indiana. 



At Lake IMaxinkuckee it is quite common, but not nearh' so abundant 

 as the Map, Painted, Musk or Soft-shelled turtles. Although they may be 

 seen almost anywhere in the lake, they do not often occur in the deeper, 

 clear portions; they pri'fer shallow water with soft muddy bottom, especially 

 water that is well warmed up liy the sun. They are more common, therefore, 

 in Lost Lak(( than in Lake Maxinkuckee, and in the latter body of water 

 prefer shallow bays with marshy shores, such as the region about Norris 

 Inlet and Outlet Bay. They are fond of streams and occur in numbers in 

 Norris Inlet, also in Aubeenaubee Creek, Culver Inlet and the Outlet. In 

 the Noms Inlet region. Outlet Bay, or Lost Lake, they can frequently be 

 caught on set-lines or in turtle-nets baited with meat. They are not often 

 seen basking about the shores, but usually spend their time floating or 

 swimming with only the head projecting above the surface of the water. 

 Numerous examples of \arious sizes were captured in many places about the 

 lake. They were captured in various ways, some in hauls of the seine, some 

 on set-lines, and many by hand. A few were seen that had been taken in 

 traps. 



The Snapping Turtle, Snapper, Mossback, or Mud Turtle, as it is variously 

 called, is most frequent in and about muddy ponds, streams or bogs. It may 

 often be seen long distances from water, however, when it is traveling from 

 one pond to another, or in search of a suitable place for depositing its eggs. 



