Observations on trie Cnelonians 



of North America. VII. 



DR. R. W. SHUFELDT, C. M. Z. S. 



Common Snapping Turtle 



Chelydra serpentina 



I 



In Part VI of the present series there 

 was presented three different views of 

 the young of our common Snapping 

 Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) , and in the 

 present contribution it is my intention to 

 offer some notes on the adult of this 

 interesting and widely known species. 

 One of the handsomest examples of this 

 species of the family Chclxdridac I cap- 

 tured near Edgemoor, in Maryland, early 

 in the summer of 1919, later presenting 

 it to the National Zoological Park, at 

 Washington, D. C, where it was duly 

 placed in the alligator tank, and where 

 it was devoured next day by one of those 

 voracious reptiles. It was an unusually 

 fine individual, its dark parts being of a 

 deep, leaden black, and the usual mark- 



ings of yellowish white, the contrast 

 making a very attractive combination, 

 especially when the animal was just being 

 lifted out of the water. This specimen 

 had a length of some thirty centimeters, 

 and was taken in a little stream that 

 passed through a marshy place where 

 cattails and other aquatic plants flour- 

 ished. 



I made but one photograph of this 

 capture ; this is here reproduced, and it 

 gives a very excellent idea of the appear- 

 ance of one of this species. In American 

 Forestry and elsewhere I have published 

 some of my photographs of other snap- 

 ping turtles, and they show direct views 

 of upper and lower parts of the shell as 

 presented by examples of this species. 



