Reptiles Turtles 
THE SPOTTED TURTLE 
_ This has a black upper shell, ornamented with 
numerous round yellow spots. It is common in 
ponds and small streams, and likes to climb out upon 
logs. It always feeds under water, and is not able 
to swallow otherwise. Its natural food is dead fish 
and aquatic insects. In captivity it will eat lettuce 
leaves and chopped raw fish. 
THE WOOD TERRAPIN 
This is a very common turtle, and it lives mostly 
on land in damp places, although it swims rapidly. 
The plates of its upper shell are ornamented with 
eoncentric ridges. All of the fleshy parts of the 
creature, except the top of the head and the legs, are 
brick red. It feeds upon tender vegetation, berries 
and insects. It will also eat chopped fish and meal 
worms. One that we had was particularly fond of 
cherries, and soon learned to know the one person 
who fed it, and seemed to like to be fed from the hand. 
It should be kept in a garden. It needs: to have 
access to water. 
THE BOX TURTLE 
This well-protected turtle lives entirely upon land, 
and especially likes open grassy spots in open thickets. 
Its natural food consists of berries, the larve of 
‘insects, worms and snails. It is especially fond of 
blackberries. The box turtle should be kept in a 
garden, where it will spend its time hunting worms, 
snails and slugs. It may be fed berries, bananas or 
mushrooms, and it must have access to water, 
although it does not need to live in an aquarium. 
264. 
