The Box Turtles 



the water at the slightest alarm. Their feet are broadly webbed. 

 Although the two species of this genus are widely separated 

 in distribution one occurring over a vast area comprising 

 Europe, Asia and northern Africa, and the other inhabiting 

 the central and eastern portions of the United States, they are 

 remarkably similar in structure and colouration, though the 

 Old World species is considerably the smaller. It is the common 

 Pond Turtle of Europe, Emys lutaria (obicularis). 



A description of the North American species is given: 



BLANDING'S TURTLE; THE "SEMI-BOX" TURTLE 

 Emys Uandingii, (Holbrook) 



The shape of the upper shell is higher (globular) and longer 

 than with the other water turtles. Except with very young 

 specimens the shell is smooth. The general structure of the 

 plastron is much like that of the typical box turtles, although 

 the rear half closes but partially and is bluntly notched. 

 Both front and hind feet are broadly webbed, as with the typical 

 pond turtles. The head is cylindrical, with sharply notched 

 upper mandible, and the neck is very long. 



Colouration. Upper shell black, with numerous pale yellow 

 or whitish spots. The plastron is yellow in the centre, with 

 large black blotches about the pale area. 



Above, the head is black, with many yellow dots. The 

 chin and throat are bright, immaculate yellow. 



Dimensions. Following are the measurements of a mature 

 specimen, from North Judson, Indiana: 



Length of Carapace 7! inches 



Width ' 5 



Length of Plastron 7^ 



Length of Front Lobe 3^ 



Width at Hinge 4 



Height of Combined Shell 2| 



Distribution. Blanding's Turtle appears to attain a centre 

 of abundance in Indiana, thence it occurs in lesser numbers in 

 Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and on the north shores 

 of the Great Lakes in Canada. Eastward of the Central States 

 it is a comparatively rare species though the range extends into 

 the Alleghanean region and northeastward through Pennsyl- 

 vania and New York, into Massachusetts, Rhode Island and 



