A Combination Turtle-Frog Board

Abstract

The turtle is placed carapace downward on the board. Four fish hooks (size 6/0), with their barbs previously cut off, are placed, two in front and two in back of the animal, as illustrated, so that the hooks grasp the bridge between the carapace and plastron. The far end of each hook has previously heen connected to a two-foot length of copper aerial wire (size 7/24, i.e., seven strands, twenty-four twists per foot). Almost any wire is satisfactory if it is sufficiently malleable and durable. The connection between the wire and the hook, as well as the far end of the wire, may be taped to prevent injury to the experimenter's hands. The far end of each wire is then wrapped around a vertical post. Each post is a straight eye bolt which can be placed at will in any one of the holes, its position -being selected in accordance with the size of the turtle. The eye bolts are one-fourth inch in diameter, and their stems are three inches in length with twenty threads per inch. The stems are sawed off one and five-eighth inches below the base of the eye, and they are held fixed byT rotary insertion into square nuts which are located within the recessed spaces at the bottom of the board.