55^ 



The Living Animals of the World 



like the Crocodiles, to bask in the sub. As with the Crocodiles, however, the daytime does 

 not represent the period of its gi'eatest activity, this being during the night. The pond- 

 tortoises are highly esteemed for the table in the countries where they are indigenous. 



The True Terrapins are all tortoises of essentially aquatic habits, differing, however, from 

 the water-frequenting Pond-tortoises, last referred to, in that they have no ligamentous hinge 

 providing for the hermetical closure of the carapace apertures. The carapace and plastron, 

 moreover, are firmly united by bone, so that the two form conjointly a rigid, contmuous shell, 



as in that of the typical Land- 

 tortoises. The terrapins are widely 

 distributed, being found in North 

 America, Japan, China, the Persian 

 Gulf, Spain, and North-west Africa. 

 Terrapin ranks highly as a table 

 delicacy in the United States. The 

 real Diamond-backed species, however, 

 is now becoming very scarce, the 

 supply not being equal to the 

 demand, and many inferior varieties 

 being substituted in its place. The 

 " fishing " for these terrapins is 

 mainly prosecuted during the autumn 

 months, when the reptiles become 

 dormant, and are easily discovered 

 and secured by probing the mud with 

 sticks. The female terrapin, or " cow," 

 as it is designated, is considered the 

 greater delicacy, the eggs, to the 

 number of twenty or thirty, usually 

 found inside its body, being the de 

 rigueur garnishing of the dainty 

 dish. The diamond-terrapin rarely exceeds a length of 7 inches ; but some of the inferior 

 varieties, or " Sliders," as they are termed, are of much larger dimensions, and may weigh 

 as much as 4 lbs. 



From an aesthetic standpoint the Painted Terrapin undoubtedly bears the palm. Its 

 smooth, depjressed carapace is not more than 6 inches long, and its ground-colour is usually 

 a dark olive-green, yellow lines bordering its component central shields ; the small marginal 

 shields are sometimes almost crimson with black markings, and the " bridge " uniting the 

 carapjace and plastron exhibits the .same brilliant coloration. The soft skin of the head, neck, 

 and other expjosed pjarts have yellow and red bands on a brown or blackish ground-colour. 

 This beautiful little terrapnn, which is a special favourite for aquariums, is a native of Eastern 

 North America. 



Passing the small and not peculiarly conspicuous group of the American Mud-terrapins, 

 we arrive at the very distinctly differentiated family of the Snappers, Snapping-turtles, or 

 Alligator-terrapins, as they are variously called. These likewise are exclusively confined 

 in their present-day distribution to the New World, though in former ages allied species 

 inhabited Europe. The alligator -terrapins are characterised by the relatively small size of 

 the carapace, within which the animal is unable to completely retract its head and limbs, as 

 in the preceding typjes. The head is relatively large, and armed with a formidable hooked 

 beak ; while the tail greatly exceeds in relative length that of any of the ordinary tortoises 

 or terrapins, and is scaly and crested somewhat like that of a crocodile along its upper ridge, 

 and has horny pjlates on the under-surface. Their popular name has, in fact, been conferred 

 upon these Chelonians on the strength of their presenting the aspect to no inconsiderable 



of the Eon. Walter Rothschild. 



GIAXT TORTOISE. 



The giant tortoises, lilce the relatively diminutive European varict 

 hei-hivorous. 



are essentially 



