TERRARIA AND AQUA-TERRARIA 



curved nails. The tail is short, thick at the base and suddenly pointed. 

 The color of the carapace is dusky brown with irregular red markings on 

 and around the plates, the plastron red, clouded with a dusky shade. The 

 head and neck are dark brown above with obscured red lines, and the legs 

 and tail dusky brown and black, also marked with red. Length of cara- 

 pace II in., breadth 7 in., elevation 4^ in. Found in brackish and fresh- 

 water from New Jersey to Virginia. Under the name of "Slider," it is 

 largely used as a substitute for the Diamond-back Terrapin. Another 

 form of the same genus, P. troosti (Hoi.), or Yellow-bellied Terrapin, of 

 the Mississippi Valley, does not occur in the Eastern or Middle States, 

 but may be sometimes found in the markets, as it is also used as food. 



Sea Turtles. These Turtles are all of very large size and are occa- 

 sionally taken in the more northern latitudes, coming in the Gulf Stream 

 from the South. They are Dermochelys coriacea (Vand.) or Leather- Tur- 

 tle, one of the largest Sea Turtles, reaching a length of 6 to 8 feet and a 

 weight of 1200 pounds; Thalassochelys caretta (Linn.), or Logger-head 

 Turtle, 3 to 6 feet in length and weighing 350 to 450 pounds; Eretmochelys 

 imbricata (Linn.), or Hawks-bill Turtle, the carapace of which is the 

 valued turtle-shell of commerce; and Chelonia mydas (Linn.), or Green 

 Turtle, valued as food, with a carapace of 3 to 4 feet and a weight of 850 

 pounds. These may occasionally be seen in the larger public aquaria. 



Feeding in the Terrarium. A variety of food is necessary for 

 the requirements of reptiles and amphibia. Frogs, Toads and Tree Toads 

 require insects, worms, grubs, particles of meat and fish; Salamanders and 

 Newts, snails, minced mussels or oysters, meat, fish and fish eggs; Lizards 

 and Snakes, insects, worms, grubs and small live animals; Alligators and 

 Snapping Turtles, tadpoles, crayfish, minnows, other small animals, and 

 worms and grubs, and when these cannot be obtained, minced fish, oysters, 

 meat, etc.; and Land Turtles should also receive snails, mussels, insects 

 and garden vegetables, lettuce, celery, tomato, berries and mushrooms. 



Feeding should be carefully done and anything not eaten should 

 be removed before it decays. 



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