63 



The first three are the easiest to tame, but the 

 pythons must be young ones. 



No. 7 is a gentle snake, but, not being 

 nocturnal, is very nervous. 



The Green Whipsnake (D. Mycterizans) 

 seldom does well in captivity. It requires a large 

 cage with bushes and shrubs inside. Some speci- 

 mens I saw at the Peradeniya Gardens, near 

 Kandy, had bred in captivity, and were living on 

 apparently very amicable terms with a Lycodon 

 Aulicus, a Coluber Helena, a Tropidonotus Sub- 

 mineatus, and a Dipsas Forstenii. 



It is a common belief that the Dryophis The Dryophis 

 Mycterizans strikes at the eye, but this is a fallacy, ^y^^^"^^"^- 

 This snake is supplied with a fleshy appendage on 

 the end of the snout, as owing to its long and 

 slender body, it often misjudges its stroke when 

 striking at anything and overbalances, in which 

 case the appendage protects its pointed nose from 

 injury. 



When frightened, this snake opens its mouth 

 and expands its lower jaw into the shape of a 

 square, the muscle joining the ends of the lower 

 jaws being capable of great expansion. I have not 

 noticed this habit in the up-country (hill) variety of 

 Dryophis Mycterizans or in the Dryophis Pulveru- 

 lentus. 



The Rat-snake (Zamenis Mucosus, or Ptyas 

 Mucosus) is a very savage snake and almost 

 untameable. It feeds well, however, in captivity. 



Vipers are among the easiest snakes to tame, Naming 

 as they are of sluggish disposition, semi-nocturnal, 

 and not likely to strike in the daytime when once 

 they have got used to you. 



They may be tamed either with their fangs in 

 or with their fangs removed. The removal is best 

 done by means of scissors, and the fangs should be 

 cut off high up, so that no dangerous pieces are 



