. Zoölogy [microform] : descriptive and practical. Zoology; Zoologie. }[. 'J iii Pill. ,«'"o* A-.," 1 , ^ 206 Descriptive Zoology. ashore to lay their eggs. Among the more noticeable of our inland turtles are the fierce snapping turtle, the soft- shell turtle, and the " gopher " of the South, which burrows in the ground. The terrapins of Chesapeake Bay are noted for their quality as food. All turtles bury their eggs, and our northern forms all hibernate in the mud. THE ALLIGATORS. General Features. â The alligators and crocodiles are like lizards in general form, but d
. Zoölogy [microform] : descriptive and practical. Zoology; Zoologie. }[. 'J iii Pill. ,«'"o* A-.," 1 , ^ 206 Descriptive Zoology. ashore to lay their eggs. Among the more noticeable of our inland turtles are the fierce snapping turtle, the soft- shell turtle, and the " gopher " of the South, which burrows in the ground. The terrapins of Chesapeake Bay are noted for their quality as food. All turtles bury their eggs, and our northern forms all hibernate in the mud. THE ALLIGATORS. General Features. â The alligators and crocodiles are like lizards in general form, but differ from them in several important points. They swim well by means of the verti- cally flattened tail. The skin is covered with horny scales, those of the back having corresponding underlying bony plates. The teeth of alligators are set in sockets, which is true o" no animals below it in scale. The heart is also more complete tluki in the other reptiles, having a complete partition separating the ventricle into two parts. The temperature is about that of the surrounding air or water. The brain, though more highly developeu th^.; in other reptiles, is small relative to the size of the body and the skull. The alligators have a muscular, gizzardlike stomach. The young feed on fishes and small animals, but the full-grown alligators seize mammals, for which they lie in wait at the edge of the water until the animals come down to drink or swim. The nostrils, eyes, and ears are Uc the top of the head, so these reptiles can lie concealed, with their main sense organs extending into the air to discover their prey; they very much resemble a stranded log. The nostrils can be closed by a valve, which is done when a victim is dragged under water to drown. Alligators dig holes in the banks, in which they lay their eggs, which are sometimes as large as those of a goose. The alligators of our Southern states grow to a length of â lii-^ ^:^r^'. Please note that these images are ext
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