142 TYPES OF ANIMAL LIFE 



monster slowly unwinds, takes the head of its prey in 

 its mouth, and, by successively implanting, withdrawing 

 and advancing its six rows of teeth (four in the upper 

 jaw and two in the lower, as before described) gradually 

 drags itself over the body of its victim till the latter 

 is finally engulfed. The anaconda of tropical America is 

 the largest serpent of the boa group. Its^whole body is 

 ornamented with dark round spots, and may attain a 

 length of thirty feet. It is more or less aquatic in its 

 habits, tenanting the banks of rivers and lakes, and 

 lying in wait for animals which come to drink. It 

 will kill and swallow a peccary or deer, the anterior 

 parts of its body becoming, of course, enormously dilated 

 during the process of deglutition. This process is greatly 

 facilitated by a very copious secretion of saliva, with 

 which the creature swallowed is abundantly lubricated. 

 After a hearty meal it will, as before said, make a long 

 fast. An anaconda in the London Zoological Gardens 

 once remained more than three months without eating. 



The pythons or rock snakes, as they are also called, 

 are, as before said, mostly Old World forms. Three kinds 

 are known in Africa and two in Asia, and some snakes 

 which are similar, save that they are much smaller, are 

 also found in Australia and New Guinea. Pythons may 

 also attain a length of thirty feet, and will easily swallow 

 a half -grown sheep. We have several times seen a python 

 take three rabbits in rapid succession, or a rabbit and a 

 pair of ducks. Pythons are fierce animals (save, of 

 course, when in the torpid condition after food), but they 

 are never spontaneously aggressive as regards man. 



Most snakes lay eggs, but some of them, notably 

 vipers and sea snakes, as before observed, hatch their 

 eggs internally and so bring forth their young alive. 

 Snakes' eggs have no hard shell like that of birds' eggs 



