CHAPTER XII 

 DISTRIBUTION 



REPRESENTATIVES of the order Ophidia are 

 found over the whole world, with the exception 

 of Iceland, Ireland, and New Zealand, between the 

 Northern limit of 6y° in Europe (Vipera berus), 6o° in 

 Asia (Vipera berus), and 52 in America {Tropidonotus 

 ordinatus), and the Southern limit of 44 (Philodryas 

 schotti). The highest altitudes reached by them are 

 14,000 feet in the Himalayas (Tropidonotus baileyi), 

 9,700 feet in the Alps (Vipera aspis), and 9,000 feet 

 in the Andes (Liophis albiventris). They are most 

 numerous between the tropics, and the number of 

 species gradually diminishes to the North and South. 



For the purpose of showing the distribution of the 

 principal groups, we will follow the divisions into 

 families and subfamilies enumerated above (p. 4). 



Typhlopidcz. — S.E. Europe, S. Asia, Africa, Aus- 

 tralia (exclusive of Tasmania), C. and S. America, 

 and W. Indies. 



GlauconiidcB. — S. Asia (as far E. as Sind), Africa 

 (exclusive of Madagascar), C. America (extending into 

 the S. parts of N. America), S. America. 



Pythonincz. — S. Asia, Africa (exclusive of Mada- 

 gascar), Australia (exclusive of Tasmania), C. America. 



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