556 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



like the Crocodiles, to bask in the sun. As with the Crocodiles, however, the daytime 

 not represent the period of its greatest activity, this being during the night. The pond- 

 tortoises are highly esteemed for the table in the countries where they are indigenous. 



The TRUE TERRAPINS are all tortoises of essentially aquatic habits, differing, however, from ' 

 the water-frequenting Pond-tortoises, last referred to, in that they have no ligamentous hinge 

 providing for the hermetical closure of the carapace apertures. The carapace and plastron, 

 moreover, are firmly united by bone, so that the two form conjointly a rigid, continuous shell, t 



as in that of the typical Land- 



' ** ' * ^1 tortoises. The terrapins are widely 



distributed, being found in North 

 America, Japan, China, the Persian 

 Gulf, Spain, and North-west Africa. 

 Terrapin ranks highly as a table 

 delicacy in the United States. The \ 

 real DIAMOND-BACKED species, how- 

 ever, is now becoming very scarce, 

 the supply not being equal to the: 

 demand, and many inferior varieties 

 being substituted in its place. The 

 "fishing" for these terrapins is? 

 mainly prosecuted during the autumn 

 months, when the reptiles become 

 dormant, and are easily discovered 

 and secured by probing the mud with 

 sticks. The female terrapin, or " cow" 

 as it is designated, is considered the; 

 greater delicacy, the eggs, to thei 

 number of twenty or thirty, usually 

 found inside its body, being the de 

 rigueur garnishing of the dainty 



dish. The diamond-terrapin rarely exceeds a length of 7 inches; but some of the inferior 

 varieties, or " Sliders," as they are termed, are of much larger dimensions, and may weigh 

 as much as 4 Ibs. 



From an aesthetic standpoint the PAINTZD TERRAPIN undoubtedly bears the palm. Its 

 smooth, depressed carapace is not more than 6 inches long, and its ground-colour is usually; 

 a dark olive-green, yellow lines bordering its component central shields ; the small marginal 

 shields are sometimes almost crimson with black markings, and the " bridge " uniting the 

 carapace and plastron exhibits the same brilliant coloration. The soft skin of the head, neck 

 and other exposed parts have yellow and red bands on a brown or blackish ground-colour 

 This beautiful little terrapin, which is a special favourite for aquariums, is a native of Eastern 

 North America. 



Passing the small and not peculiarly conspicuous group of the AMERICAN MUD-TERRAPINS 

 we arrive at the very distinctly differentiated family of the SNAPPERS, SNAPPING-TURTLES, 01 

 ALLIGATOR-TERRAPINS, as they are variously called. These likewise are exclusively confined 

 in their present-day distribution to the New World, though in former ages allied specie? 

 inhabited Europe. The alligator-terrapins are characterised by the relatively small size of 

 the carapace, within which the animal is unable to completely retract its head and limbs, a.' 

 in the preceding types. The head is relatively large, and armed with a formidable hookec 

 beak; while the tail greatly exceeds in relative length that of any of the ordinary tortoise; 

 or terrapins, and is scaly and crested somewhat like that of a crocodile along its upper ridge 

 and has horny plates on the under-surface. Their popular name, has, in fact, been conferrec 

 upon these Chelonians on the strength of their presenting the aspect to no inconsiderable 



thtlt by S. G. tayni & Sun, Aylubury, by fermtision of the Hon. Walter Rtthithild 



GIANT TORTOISE 



The giant tortoises, like the relatively diminutive European varieties, are essen- 

 tially herbivorous 



