REPTILES. 



135 



FOOD CHART OF SNAPPINC TURTLE (C. scrpcntiim) .* 

 (Number with food, 19). 



Vegetation 



Algae (low w^ater plants) 



Seeds, undetermined 



Leaves, undetermined 



AooIg scGcis • 



Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetida) leaves 



Grass 



Animal Matter 



MoUusca (Snails and Slugs) 



Snails (Helix) 



Pond Snails 



Slugs 



Crustacea, Cambarus sp. (Crayfish) 



Insecta 



Undetermined Insects 



Hemiptera (Bugs) 



Corisidae, Corisa sp. (Water Bugs). 



Pentatomidae (Stink Bugs) 



Diptera (Flies) 



Larvae 



Stratiomyiid (Fly) Larva 



Coleoptera (Beetles) 



Undetermined 



Water Beetle larva 



Hydrophilidae, Water Scavengers. . . 



Dytiscidae, Diving beetles 



Gyrinidiae, Whirligig Beetles 



Vertebrata (Vertebrates) 



Undetermined species (Fish) 



Pisces (fishes) 



Undetermined fish 



Catostomidae (Suckers) 



Batrachia (Frogs, etc.), Ra7ia sp. . . . 



Ophidia (Serpents) 



Aves (Birds) 



Mammalia (Mammals) 



Undetermined 



Muridae (Mice) 



Leporidae (Rabbits), Lefus sp 



*From Surface (1908, 128-129.) 



Captive specimens Avill feed upon pieces of meat or the bodies of 

 mammals and birds. They grasp the food, pull it under the water, 

 and swallow it, or, if too large, tear it to pieces by seizing it 

 firmly in the mouth and clawing it with the forefeet. 



On land a snapping turtle is a curious sight, as it walks with the 

 body well elevated on the legs. If brought to bay at this time they 

 do not retire into their shells, but, raising themselves still higher 

 .on their limbs, open their jaws and lunge forward at the offender 

 with a force that often destroys their equilibrium and causes them 

 to fall forward. 



Newman (1906, 150-151) records the following notes on the 

 breedino- habits : ^'Onlv in one instance have I observed the female 

 Chelydra during the nesting process. On this occasion the nest 

 was more than half completed when I first caught sight of her. 

 Although she stopped work and showed signs of preparing for a 

 retreat, she concluded the filling-in process in a somewhat slovenly 



