. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE SALT-WATER TERRAPIN. 11 The Salt-water Terrapin is a well-known species, living in North and South America, where it is in great request for the table. The generic name of Malaclemys, or Soft Terrapin, has been given to this species on account of the formation of the head, which is covered with soft, spongy skin. The head is large in proportion to the size of the animal, and flattened above. This Terrapin lives in the salt-w\iter marshes, where it is very plentiful, and from which it
. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE SALT-WATER TERRAPIN. 11 The Salt-water Terrapin is a well-known species, living in North and South America, where it is in great request for the table. The generic name of Malaclemys, or Soft Terrapin, has been given to this species on account of the formation of the head, which is covered with soft, spongy skin. The head is large in proportion to the size of the animal, and flattened above. This Terrapin lives in the salt-w\iter marshes, where it is very plentiful, and from which it never tmvels to any great distance. During the warm months of the year it is lively, and constantly searching after prey, but when the cold weather comes on, it burrows a hole in the muddy banks of its native marsh, and there lies buried until the warm sunbeams of spring break its slumbers, and induce it once more to seek the upper earth and resume its former active QUAKER lOKiOlSE—EmyeMvacea. It is more active in its movements than is the case with the Tortoises in general, and can not only swim rapidly, but walk with tolerable speed. It is very shy, and discovers approach- ing peril with a keenness of perception that could scarcely be expected from one of these shielded reptiles, whose dullness and torpidity have long been proverbial. Mr. Holbrook, in his valuable " North American Herpetology," writes as follows concern- ing this TeiTapia:— "They are very abundant in the salt marshes around Charleston, and are easily taken when the female is about to deposit her eggs in the spring and early summer months. They are then brought in immense numbers to market; yet, notwithstanding this great destruction, they are so prolific that their number appears undiminished. Their flesh is excellent at all times, but in the northern cities it is most esteemed when the animal has been dug out of the mud in its state of hibernation. The males are smaller than t
Size: 1801px × 1387px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorbr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
