THE SNAPPING-TURTLE. 



BY reason of the ferocity of dis- 

 position of this curious ani- 

 mal, the snapping-turtle {Chely- 

 dra serpentina) is rather for- 

 midable, not only to the smaller 

 creatures which inhabit the same lo- 

 calities, but also to man, its bite 

 causing very severe wounds. It is 

 found in America from Canada to 

 Ecuador, and there are few localities 

 where it is not met with frequently. 

 Swimmers in small lakes are some- 

 times attacked by it, the habits of the 

 animal both in the water and on land 

 being the same. It is bold as well as 

 fierce, often suffering itself to be lifted 

 from the ground by the object which it 

 has grasped rather than to let go its 

 hold. If attacked, the reptile's long 

 reach and strong jaws enable it to de- 

 feat any ordinary foe. The elongated 

 tail of the snapping-turtle has given 

 rise to the popular name, alligator 

 turtle and, being appended to the 

 small, comparatively thin shell, giving 

 an elongated appearance to the body, 

 the specific name serpefitina resulted. 



When the snapper elevates itself for 

 the attack, with half-open mouth and 

 sullen eyes, there is said to be some- 

 thing fiery and defiant in its attitude, 

 though it is so slow and awkward in 

 recovering itself after missing its point 

 of attack that it presents a most ludi- 

 crous appearance. These turtles are 

 remarkably strong. The elder Agas- 

 siz states that he observed one bite 

 off a piece of plank more than an inch 

 thick. They also attain considerable 

 size, being the largest inland represen- 

 tative of the order, specimens not in- 

 frequently exceeding three feet in 

 length. It is carnivorous in its habits, 

 and is very destructive of fish, small 

 quadrupeds, birds, and reptiles. Many 

 have been the water-fowl which ha\e 

 ventured too close to their voracious 

 enemy. Its appetite is said to be so 



great that it will even catch young 

 alligators, and devour them in spite of 

 their teeth and struggles. 



The flesh of the snapping-turtle is 

 delicate, tender, and of rich flavor. 

 Every fisherman knows that it will take 

 almost any kind of bait, provided it be 

 of animal substance. It, however, 

 prefers fish, and cannot resist a hook 

 so baited. 



In the northern United States, from 

 the tenth to the twentieth of June, it has 

 been observed, the female, at early 

 morning, leaves the water and crawls 

 to a sandbank, digs a small cavity with 

 its hind leg, into which the small, round 

 eggs are deposited to the number of 

 twenty-five or thirty, when the sand is 

 drawn over them, the surface smoothed 

 down, and the animal is soon back in 

 the water, the entire operation not last- 

 ing over twenty minutes. This method 

 is different from that of our other land 

 turtles. Nothing but sand will suit 

 the purpose of the snapping-turtle. 

 In order to find a suitable spot for the 

 burial of her eggs, the female is often 

 forced to traverse a considerable dis- 

 tance. The sand must be quite dry 

 and exposed to the full rays of the sun. 

 The little ones are hatched in July. 

 The young run b)'' instinct into the 

 water. 



Remarkable stories are told of the 

 longevity of the turtle and of its ten- 

 acity of life. That they live to near a 

 century is well authenticated. After 

 the head is severed from the body the 

 head will open and shut the mouth and 

 roll the eyes. In one case a stick was 

 held between the open jaws, which 

 closed upon it with violence, and kept 

 hold of it. Meanwhile the headless 

 body was crawling on the ground. 



An allied form {MatrocJielys lacer- 

 tina) inhabits the tributaries of the 

 Mexican Gulf, extending northward in 

 the Mississippi as far as Missouri. 



