27 



Very abundant throughout the eastern United States as 

 far west as Illinois. 



This turtle gives off a fetid, musky odor. It is a very 

 voracious animal, a vicious biter, and altogether is a small 

 understudy of the snapping turtle. Older specimens fre- 

 quently are overgrown with confervae and plentifully cov- 

 ered with small leeches. They are quite active, and when 

 very small can be kept with fishes in the aquarium. They 

 are slow growers and will live for years in captivity, 

 apparently better than any of our other turtles. 



Family Emydidae. Pond Tuetles. 



Carapace ovate, broader behind, edge of shell more or 

 less flaring out, usually less convex than in the previous 

 two families ; plastron larger, more rigid, of nine bones- 

 Toes more or less webbed, according to their habitat. 

 Active turtles, mostly of diurnal habits. 



This family embraces the greater number of all turtles 

 now living. It is subdivided according to the presence or 

 absence of a movable cross-hinge on the plastron, and also 

 by the aspect of the alveolar surfaces of the jaws. 1 



Malaclemmys palustris (Gmel). 

 Salt-marsh Turtle. Diamond-back. Terrapin. 



Alveolar surface of the jaws broad and smooth, a deep 

 groove in front ; edges of jaws smooth, upper jaw not 

 notched in front ; carapace depressed, keeled in the young 

 and less so in the adult ; toes short, webbed. Color 

 greenish to olive, of different shades, plates of both shells 

 with more or less pronounced concentric darker bands or 

 lines, sometimes grooved. Length up to ten inches. 



Occurs all along our coast from Nantucket to Florida 

 and Texas in salt marshes, and is said to have been found 

 on the South American coast. 



1 That part of the jaw of a turtle corresponding to the part where the teeth 

 sockets are developed in other reptiles. 



