278 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



external structure of the typical harmless species, a large 

 portion of them being really much elongated — whip-like 

 — which is in distinct contrast to the popular notion of 

 a poisonous reptile. Let it be well understood, before 

 we go farther, that the present big group is entirely dis- 

 tinct from the cobras, the coral snakes and their many 

 allies, all of these, too, looking like the harmless snakes 

 in their configuration. 



Until a comparatively recent date, the members of the 

 Opisthoglypha were classed with the wholly innocuous 

 snakes. Even now they are not regarded with due sig- 

 nificance. We find references, describing them as 

 "slightly poisonous to small animals, but harmless to 

 man," or "capable of producing bites little worse than 

 a bee's sting." The truth of the matter is, the Opistho- 

 glyph snakes are, as a rule, shy and active ; besides, their 

 fangs are so placed the reptile would inflict a wound only 

 with the harmless anterior teeth if dealing an ordinary 

 bite. Thus, in the absence of records to show what their 

 venom is capable of doing, numerous writers have filled 

 the gap by theoretically declaring the reptiles' harmless- 

 ness. A considerable number of the species are of 

 diminutive size, consequently possessing almost micro- 

 scopic fangs. Such may be unhesitatingly described as 

 incapable of doing much harm to man. Compared with 

 the Elapine and Viperine snakes, the majority of the 

 Opisthoglyph serpents might be termed mildly poison- 

 ous. In spite of this argument, though, there can be 

 no excuse in placing snakes having perfectly developed 

 poison-glands and grooved fangs to conduct the virus, 

 under any other head but that of Poisonous Serpents. 

 By so doing, we remove from what has been termed 

 in the past the "great family of harmless snakes," nearly 

 a third of the members. 



