Occasionally the Snapping Turtle leaves the water, and is seen on the banks of rivers or in meadows, even at a distance from its accustomed element. On land his motions are awkward; he walks slowly, with his head, neck, and long tail extended, elevating himself on his legs like the Alligator, which at that time he greatly resembles in his motions; like the Alligator also, after having walked a short distance, he falls down to rest for a few moments, and then proceeds on his journey. In captivity they prefer dark places, and are exceedingly ferocious; they will seize upon and bite severely anything that is offered them, and their grasp upon the object with their strong jaws is most tenacious. The Snapping Turtles, or "Snappers," are feared on account of the ferocious bites which they inflict, and they are hated because of the destruction of valuable fish and water-fowl. They in turn atone for this damage by being eaten, especially the younger half-grown individuals, the flesh of the older ones being too much tainted with the odour of musk. The round eggs, which are laid to the number of twenty to thirty in the summer {340}(in the Northern States about June), are likewise good to eat. The first act of the young creature on leaving the shell is said to be snapping and biting. In captivity they are often very sulky, and refuse food stubbornly for many months, perhaps for a whole year, and apparently without much harm to themselves, since they lie quietly in the distant corner of the tank, now and then slowly rising to the surface to breathe. Fresh-water algae grow on the shell and in the mud which settles on it, and since this happens also in the wild state, they are rendered as inconspicuous as old rotten logs. In order to attract fishes they protrude a pair of worm-like, pale pink filaments from the tip of the tongue. [Illustration: FIG. 74.–_Macroclemmys temmincki_, "Alligator Turtle." × ⅙.] _Macroclemmys temmincki_, the "Alligator Turtle."–In size and general appearance much like the other Snapping Turtle, but the dorsal shields have each a strong and prominent keel, and these three series increase in size with age. The costal shields are separated from the marginals by an additional series of about four supramarginals, well shown in the illustration. The shields of {341}the cross-shaped plastron are subject to much individual variation, small shields being frequently intercalated, or rather retained, between the usual ones, especially between the pectorals and abdominals, in the gular region, and on the narrow bridge, where the inframarginals number one to three or even more. This species inhabits, broadly speaking, the whole basin of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.