The Terrapins 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF CHRYSEMYS 



Division I. Carapace perfectly smooth and rounded without 

 a keel and not serrated at the rear margin. 

 Si%e, from 5 to 8 inches. 



a. Bright red markings on upper and lower marginal 



shields of carapace. 



Dark olive above; shields with wide, yellowish 



borders. Plastron immaculate yellow. 



EASTERN PAINTED TERRAPIN, C. pictd. 



Distribution. Eastern North America. 



Carapace dark olive, the shields with narrow, 

 yellowish margins. Plastron yellow, with a long 

 black patch in centre. 



WESTERN PAINTED TERRAPIN, C. marginata. 



Carapace dark olive or brown; shields with 

 very narrow, or no yellow margins, but trav- 

 ersed by vein-like, yellow lines. Plastron yel- 

 low, with symmetrical, black markings in the 

 centre. BELL'S PAINTED TERRAPIN, C. belli. 



Distribution. United States, west of the Miss- 

 issippi and Ohio Rivers. 



b. No red markings on upper or lower margins of 



carapace; latter yellow, with or without black 



spots. 



Olive or brown above, with a net-work of fine 



yellow lines; plastron immaculate yellow. 



CHICKEN TURTLE, C. reticulatus. 

 Distribution. Southeastern United States. 

 Division II. Shell smooth or with numerous parallel grooves; 

 serrated at rear margin. 

 Si%e, from 10 to 14 inches. 



c. Carapace flat, smooth, serrated at rear. 



Carapace olive, with large, black blotches; 

 no yellow markings. Head dull olive. 



TROOST'S TERRAPIN, C. troosti. 



Distribution. States bordering the Mississippi 

 to Illinois. 



Carapace olive, divided into various sized *and 

 shaped areas by yellow bands, the spaces contain- 

 ing concentric, yellow lines. 



HIEROGLYPHIC TERRAPIN, C. hieroglyphica. 



Distribution. Georgia, northern Alabama and 

 Tennessee. 



d. Carapace flat, with numerous parallel grooves: 



serrated at rear. 



Numerous parallel stripes on head and neck, 



all of which are yellow. 



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