CLASS REPTILIA 571 



The food of reptiles consists of both animals and plants. The 

 animals eaten belong to practically all classes. Many of the 

 snakes live almost entirely upon birds and mammals. Frogs, 

 fish, and other reptiles are favorite articles of food. Most of the 

 smaller species of reptiles feed upon worms and insects. In 

 general it may be stated that reptiles do very little damage be- 

 cause of the animals and plants they destroy for food, but are 

 often of considerable benefit, since they kill large numbers of 

 obnoxious insects and other forms. 



The turtles and tortoises rank first as food for man. Espe- 

 cially worthy of mention are the green turtle (p. 543) , the diamond- 

 back terrapin (p. 542), and the soft-shelled turtle (p. 545). In 

 some parts of this country it would seem possible to establish 

 turtle farms that would utilize land useless for other purposes, 

 and would be commercially successful. Certain lizards, such as 

 the iguana of tropical America, form a valuable addition to the 

 food supply in various localities. 



The skins of the crocodilians are used rather extensively for 

 the manufacture of articles that need to combine beauty of 

 surface with durability. The alligators in this country have 

 decreased so rapidly because of the value of their hides that 

 they will be of no great economic importance unless they are 

 consistently protected or grown on farms. Of less value are 

 the skins of certain snakes. Tortoise-shell, especially that 

 procured from the horny covering of the carapace of the hawk's- 

 bill turtle (p. 544, Fig. 447), is widely used for the manufacture 

 of combs and ornaments of various kinds. 



As previously stated, the poisonous snakes of the United States 

 are of very little danger to man. In tropical countries, espe- 

 cially India (p. 565), venomous snakes cause a larger death-rate 

 than that of any other group of animals. The Gila monster, 

 which is one of the few poisonous lizards, and the only one in- 

 habiting the United States, very seldom attacks man, and prob- 

 ably never inflicts a fatal wound. 



