214] Snakes and Frogs and Their Relatives 



turtle, which bears a saw-toothed armor of plates, and the front 

 and rear "trap doors" which the box turtle can pull up against 

 the carapace to enclose the body completely! 



A child may wonder how a creature encased so completely can 

 manage to breathe. The turtle's shoulder and hip bones do most 

 of the work in contracting and expanding the lungs. The con- 

 stant pulsation you can observe in the throat is caused by air 

 being swallowed. 



SIGHT, SMELL, AND TEETH 



Like snakes, turtles lack movable eyelids. However, turtles 

 have a protective membrane which comes up from the lower edge 

 to cover the eye. Some species have nostrils no larger than pin- 

 holes, and their poor sense of smell is not surprising. Others, 

 better equipped, have a keen sense of smell. 



Though a turtle has no real teeth, its mouth has sawlike cutting 

 edges. It does not bother to chew food but simply tears it to pieces. 



How TO TAKE CARE OF TURTLE PETS 



We naturally avoid the big snapping turtles, but the small 

 ones are good pet material because they are hardy and usually 

 easy to feed. (This is also true of musk turtles.) The kind you 

 are most likely to find in pet shops is the Troost's turtle, which 

 is green with yellow markings. 



Keeping a Turtle Pet Comfortable: To keep water turtles healthy, 

 you must give them some means of getting out of water to dry 

 and sun themselves. If they are lodged in a tank or aquarium, a 

 stone island or floating piece of wood will answer the purpose. 



Instead of an aquarium, you may use a dry cage or box to 

 advantage. In that case you must furnish it with a dish of water 

 deep enough to serve as a swimming pool, and so arranged that 

 the turtle will find it easily accessible. The rest of the floor of 

 the cage may be covered with stones, sand, gravel, or moss. 



The water, especially in the aquarium-type housing, should 

 consistently be between 75 and 85 degrees. Chilling at night must 

 be avoided. (Most pet turtles come from southern states, and they 

 need a little extra warmth in order to thrive in northern regions.) 



