The Box Turtles 



New Hampshire. The species does not occur near the coast 

 regions of New York, Connecticut or New Jersey. 



Habits. Although fully as agile in the water in swimming, 

 diving and remaining a considerable time beneath the surface 

 as the typical pond and river turtles and terrapin, this species 

 often evinces a desire to wander about on land, and while it 

 seldom ventures from wet, marshy areas, prowls about through 

 the undergrowth in search of tender shoots, berries and insect 

 larvae, a character quite in opposition to the feeding habits of 

 the strictly aquatic turtles and terrapins, which are unable to 

 feed unless under water. Blanding's Turtle feeds with equal 

 readiness upon the ground, or under water. Captive specimens 

 are very fond of lettuce; they also feed voraciously upon earth- 

 worms, small fishes, tadpoles and young frogs, actively pursuing 

 these creature in the water and seizing them by a sudden dart 

 of the head. Well fattened specimens are unable to employ 

 the hinged plastron to but a slight extent and with such indi- 

 viduals the rear lobe is quite useless in covering the hind limbs 

 which bulge from the shell in helpless fashion. 



The species is very timid and if handled will withdraw 

 the head and front limbs within the shell, close the front lobe 

 of the plastron and remain in this position for an indefinite 

 period frequently for several hours. On one occasion the 

 writer procured several hundred specimens with which he stocked 

 a small pond. Floating in this pond were several logs and upon 

 these the turtles were in the habit of crawling in rows and 

 clusters, for a sun bath. The slightest alarm would cause them 

 to plunge in a volley into the water, from which, a few minutes 

 later, their heads would be protruded in a fashion that caused the 

 pond to look as if it were infested with water snakes the turtles' 

 shells being invisible. 



The Box Turtles Genus Cistudo: The six alleged species 

 of this genus are so closely related that further investigations 

 of more elaborate series of specimens than are now possessed 

 by our museums, will probably result in the contraction of the 

 genus to but three or four species, and several varieties or sub- 

 species. Although some of the forms possess four claws on the 

 hind foot and others have but three claws, this structural dif- 

 ference does not appear to be of great importance, for more 

 pronounced characters cause the species to arrange themselves 



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