THE SNAPPING-TURTLE. 
BY reason of the ferocity of dis- j 
position of this curious ani- 
mal, the snapping-turtle (Chely- 
dra serpentina) is rather for- I 
midable, not only to the smaller 
creatures which inhabit the same lo- 
calities, but also to man, its bite 
causing very severe wounds. It is 
found in America from Canada to 
Ecuador, and there are few localities 
where it is not met with frequently. 
Swimmers in small lakes are some- 
times attacked by it, the habits of the 
animal both in the water and on land 
being the same. It is bold as well as 
fierce, often suffering itself to be lifted 
from the ground by the object which it 
has grasped rather than to let go its 
hold. If attacked, the reptile's long 
reach and strong jaws enable it to de- 
feat any ordinary foe. The elongated 
tail of the snapping-turtle has given 
rise to the popular name, alligator 
turtle and, being appended to the 
small, comparatively thin shell, giving 
an elongated appearance to the body, 
the specific name serpentina resulted. 
When the snapper elevates itself for 
the attack, with half-open mouth and 
sullen eyes, there is said to be some- 
thing fiery and defiant in its attitude, 
though it is so slow and awkward in 
recovering itself after missing its point 
of attack that it presents a most ludi- 
crous appearance. These turtles are 
remarkably strong. The elder Agas- 
siz states that he observed one bite 
off a piece of plank more than an inch 
thick. They also attain considerable 
size, being the largest inland represen- 
tative of the order, specimens not in- 
frequently exceeding three feet in 
length. It is carnivorous in its habits, 
and is very destructive of fish, small 
quadrupeds, birds, and reptiles. Many 
have been the water-fowl which have 
ventured too close to their voracious 
enemy. Its appetite is said to be so 
great that it will even catch young 
alligators, and devour them in spite of 
their teeth and struggles. 
The flesh of the snapping-turtle is 
delicate, tender, and of rich flavor. 
Every fisherman knows that it will take 
almost any kind of bait, provided it be 
of animal substance. It, however, 
prefers fish, and cannot resist a hook 
so baited. 
In the northern United States, from 
the tenth to the twentieth of June, it has 
been observed, the female, at early 
morning, leaves the water and crawls 
to a sandbank, digs a small cavity with 
its hind leg, into which the small, round 
eggs are deposited to the number of 
twenty-five or thirty, when the sand is 
drawn over them, the surface smoothed 
down, and the animal is soon back in 
the water, the entire operation not last- 
ing over twenty minutes. This method 
is different from that of our other land 
turtles. Nothing but sand will suit 
the purpose of the snapping-turtle. 
In order to find a suitable spot for the 
burial of her eggs, the female is often 
forced to traverse a considerable dis- 
tance. The sand must be quite dry 
and exposed to the full rays of the sun. 
The little ones are hatched in July. 
The young run by instinct into the 
water. 
Remarkable stories are told of the 
longevity of the turtle and of its ten- 
acity of life. That they live to near a 
century is well authenticated. After 
the head is severed from the body the 
head will open and shut the mouth and 
roll the eyes. In one case a stick was 
held between the open jaws, which 
closed upon it with violence, and kept 
hold of it. Meanwhile the headless 
body was crawling on the ground. 
An allied form (Matrochelys lacer- 
tina) inhabits the tributaries of the 
Mexican Gulf, extending northward in 
the Mississippi as far as Missouri. 
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