Chelydra serpentina = Snapping Turtle/Proving from eggs

[Eric Sommermann]

They aren’t named “Snapping” turtles for nothing. Famed for their aggressiveness and determination, snapping turtles are known to remove fingers when provoked (Theme: Ill-tempered).

Their large jaws are extremely powerful clamping down with intense force and mindful determination. Snapping turtles have evolved the ability to snap because unlike other turtles, they are

too large to hide in their own shells when confronted. (Theme: Scared Outside) Snapping is their defense mechanism. When given the chance, a snapping turtle prefers to hide and retreat.

It has fears of getting trapped and not being able to get away (Theme: Trapped). They also feel the vulnerability of their head and limbs that they cannot completely pull into their shell

(Theme: Scared Outside; Amputations)

Snappers are more at home in the water, where they are more agile. On dry land they are cumbersome (Theme: Slow-moving). This “denseness” or cumbersome nature is translated to the dazed, spacey and drugged feeling at times (Theme: Muddy-headed). Spending much of their time dug into the banks of rivers or ponds, there is a “dreamy” feeling.

The importance of their home cannot be minimized. Given their awkwardness on land, they prefer to “stay at home” so to say (Theme: Home, House). Carrying their home on their back,

the concept of home is not only structurally important to them but it is also their protection (aside from biting). The care and condition of their home is important (Theme: Disgust and Insects).

There also seems to be some distress or disorientation when trying to get home or to get to a location.

Day to day a snapper’s life is one of efficiency (Theme: Efficiency, Work). Of utmost importance is eating and food (Theme: Don’t Take my Food). They can get quite angry when food or

shelter is concerned. They like to accomplish things and feel better about themselves when they are able to do this. They like things to be simple and straight-forward. Complex things frustrate

them and when people don’t work efficiently they can get angry.

Besides their famed temper, Chelydra is actually a little child-like in nature. They have a simpleness that can be taken as directness or bluntness. They see things clearly and simply and see no problem voicing this. When happy, they have a curiosity about life (Theme: Curiosity) and can be exuberant and optimistic.

Given that turtles are reptiles we see many common reptile themes. They fear being left out and ignored (Theme: Forsaken). They may be victims of deceit or be taken advantage of or they themselves may lie or steal (Theme: Deceit). They feel great guilt and shame when they behave deceptively.

Physical Overview

The Chelydra pathology seems to center on the Mouth, Skin and Stomach. An almost “must see” would be some pathology with the Mouth, Teeth and/or Jaws given Chelydra’s strong powerful

jaws. Another confirmation would be flushes of head to the head when angry or emotional. Many areas of the body (areas usually moist) are dry and their is much formication and itching.

The formication might feel as if lice. The stomach can be disordered with belching and gas. There also appears to be instances of ravenous appetite and cravings for red meat.

(See the complete Repertory: Physicals for a more complete physical profile)

Repertory:

Mind: Ambition increased

Anger [easily (with noise)/about food]

Anxiety (about not enough food/to company)/Fear (of being taken advantage of /of being trapped)

Blunt, speaks him mind *

Dazed, feels

(moves) “As if in a dream”/“As if drugged”

Confusion of mind

Concentration difficult

Cleaning, desire to straighten house

Clearly, sees situation

Company, aversion to

Curiosity (noticing details)

Deceit

Delusion = forgotten/is by teacher and others ignored/left out/ Delusion, Slow-motion, that others are in/is unappreciated/is worthless (not accomplishing)

Decisive

Determined/dictatorial

Direct (desires things to be done efficiently/speaks mind)

Disgust (at insects in the house)

Efficiency, desires

Fidgety

Forgetful

Forsaken

Guilt

Hide, desire to

Home – desires (to stay inside, where warm and safe)

Hurried (others seem to move in slow-motion)

Industrious

Impatient

Laughter

Light-hearted

Loquacity

Lost (cannot find home or car)

Lying

Irritability (to own family/towards children/about business/with everything/when coerced/when expectations not met/when not appreciated)

Industrious

Nostalgic

Overreacting/feels overwhelmed

Rage

Shame

Snaps, at people when angry

Simple

Senses, acute

Spacey

Speech excited

Stealing, food (and feeling guilty)

Stupefaction

Work, aversion to

Vertigo: Room turns in a circle

In waves

Head: Chilliness, icy

Eruptions

Formication

Hair, dry

Heat (in waves, rushes upward to head/when angry)

Heaviness

Jaw – pain (lower left/accompanied by vertigo, hunger, frontal, sinuses)

Scalp, dry

Pressure, “As if squeezed” during vertigo

“As if pulling down back of head”

Eye: Closing the eyes

Heaviness

Itching in canthus

Pain “As from a nail”

Photophobia

“As if sand”

Tired

Warmth

Vision: acute/foggy

Ear: Pain - acute, sharp/sides alternating/”As if stopped”

Hearing: Acute

Sounds, humming, melodic, ringing.

Nose: Dry

Eruptions, acne

Pain - acute, at bridge of nose, sticking

“As if open”

Smell acute

Sneezing

Sniffles

Face: Lips- dry/red/swollen

Eruptions - acne around lips, dry, patches

Flushed

Sensitive

witching sensation

Mouth: Dry

Speech, thick (slurred)

Pain in tongue (left side)

Taste, bloody.

Teeth: “As if dry”/”As if hollow”

Pain (left lower teeth, left upper teeth, right upper teeth, shooting)

Throat: Constricted

Dry

Dysphasia, difficulty swallowing

Hawk disposition to, > from water, < upon waking

Mucus tenacious

Numbness

Pain – l./r.

Pressing sensation

Scratchiness, < by post nasal drip

Swollen cervical glands.

Sensation in throat, slight, upper right, that comes and goes, “As if someone putting pressure there with their finger”.

External throat: Cyst, “As if from insect bite”, painful, red

Formication ext. down neck and arms.

Larynx and trachea: Strained sensation

Tightness.

Neck: Formication

Pain - > rubbing

Stretch, desire to

Tight

Stomach: Appetite absent during the day, increased at night, with perspiration, with trembling

Appetite insatiable

Discomfort

Eructations (belching in sleep/< wine)

“A if full” after eating ever so little/”As if knotted”

Nausea

Pain - after eating/pressing

Ravenous

Rumbling

Sinking feeling accompanies hunger

Thirst upon awakening, not > water/thirstlessness.

Abdomen: Anxiety in

Distention

Flatulence trapped

Pain > rubbing

Pulsation

Sensitive to pressure

Spasm around umbilicus.

Rectum: Constipation

Flatus in sleep

Hemorrhoids - painful, protruding (like a tail)

Itching

Pain - burning, prickling, stretched (as if)

Teared, bleeding.

Stool: Brown/dry/loose during menses

Bladder: Pain - stitching

Urging to urinate, frequent (every 30 minutes)

Urging to urinate, immediately; if he does not urinate involuntary he feels as if urine passed.

Female organs: Discharge, absent, copious

Menses - accompanied by loose bowels/brown, clotted, copious, delayed, mucus absent, slow, watery

Pain - long-lasting, burning, cramping absent, cramping; itching, pubic bone

In uterus sensation of something alive in, tossing, turning.

Respiration: “As if asthmatic”

Deep; Difficult

Labored

Cough: Asthmatic/dry

Expectoration: Tenacious

Chest: Fullness

Mucus in lungs

Oppression (tight)

Pain - acute, < lying on right side/ribs

Pulsation

Spasm

Back: Formication

Itching in lumbar region, burning, violent

Pain - aching, dorsal region, scapulae, right, joints, lumbar region accompanied by menses, sitting, shoulders

Tight.

Extremities: Cold/heat

Formication, crawling, creeping

Numb

Pain - cramping, deep, nates, night in bed, right sided, thigh

Perspiration hands

Pulsation, fingers in, intermittent

Restless

Trembling in hands internally

Varices.

Sleep: Catnaps between 13 - 18 h.

Drowsiness

Falling asleep easy

Interrupted, by formication

Perspiration during sleep

Position, changed frequently (tossing much), unchanged (one position throughout sleep)

Refreshing

Restlessness

Sleepy 16 h., from sounds in the heart, overpowering/sleepless until 3 h.

Unrefreshing

Waking, 5 h. difficult, frequently.

Dreams: of an abandoned child/animals [bats, chickens, dog, snakes (yellow)]/bathing, showering/beheading/amputations/dismemberment of body/of being in cars/of a cave/closeness, in proximity/of being cold/community of people/crawling on the ground/of being curious/bed/hunting for a place to sleep/bloody/of someone being deceived/of being dismissed/disoriented/

of difficulty in driving/dwarves/of escaping, of/examinations failed/excluded/family members/fate/fighting/someone eating her food/of being forsaken/giants/guilt/hiding/feeling indebted/

inferiority/jealous/being laughed at/lost/playful/pool of water/rage/repulsive/of a person being ridiculed/romantic/scorned/of sickness/trapped/travelling/trees growing fast (maple trees/

pruning, small trees/trunks)/unsuccessful efforts/work

Perspiration: Cold/flushes of heat/during sleep

Skin: Dry

Eruptions, acne, desquamating, patches

Formication

< Cold weather/< wet weather

Chill: # flushes of heat

Generals: < 18 h.

< by open air, desires open air

“As if something alive” internally

< cold/< cloudy weather

Collapse

Complaints appearing suddenly, disappearing suddenly (rapidly)

Dryness of usually moist internal parts

Faintness

Fatigued

Formication, “As from lice”

Lack of vital heat in morning

Pain aching

Pulsation, lying down increases

> Riding in a car

Stiffness

Sudden manifestation

Trembling, externally from hunger, internally

Vigor, vitality, energy in the evening

Lack of vitality

Weakness

< wet (damp) weather/< wind

Food and drinks: Desires: Cheese/Chocolate/Coffee/Cream/Dairy/Eggs/Farinaceous food/Fat/Ice cream/raw meat/red meat/rich food/Salad/Salt/Sweets

Aversions: Honey < tooth pain; Sweets < tooth pain

Vergleich: Siehe: Reptilia

Allerlei: Sondern ein stinkendes Sekret ab xvx, wenn sie sich bedroht fühlen.

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