Class mascot nominee: Chelydridae chelydra serpentina

I was privileged to meet our class mascot nominee in person one fine spring day this semester.


Our class mascot should be Chelydridae chelydra serpentina.  These turtles have jaws like the minds of my fellow students:  they snap at every opportunity to learn and never let go.  Some of us like amphibians best, some of us like reptiles more.  An amphibious reptile should be a good compromise.  Students in our class might feel as seasoned as one of these old bruisers after what seems like an eternity in school.  The latin name of this species represents my favorite kind of latin to memorize: repetitive and loaded with meaning (Chelydridae chelydra serpentina = "water-serpent water-serpent serpent").   They are, in my opinion, the most easily recognized of all local members in the order Testudines, a trait that they share with us herpetology class students: you can spot a herp student a mile away.  Most of us here at class are extroverts, represented by that huge turtle body just overflowing out of the undersized shell.  Additional parallels could be found, but I think it is clear that our class identifies more closely with this lovely critter than any other.