3i6 



REPTILIA 



by constriction and feeding entirely on mammals and birds. They 

 are of tremendous importance in destroying injurious rodents. 

 The pilot black snake ( Coluber obsoletus) is found from New England 

 to Florida and ranges west of the Mississippi. It hibernates with 

 the timber rattler. The chicken snakes {^Coluber o. quadrivittatus) 

 are feared by poultrymen as enemies of young fowls and as egg 

 eaters, but destroy more than enough rodents to pay their way. 



The hog-nosed snake, blowing viper or puff-adder {Heterodon 

 platyrrhinus) is a most sinister reptile. When alarmed it flattens 

 the anterior portion of its body, hisses, shakes the tail and darts its 

 head here and there. It feigns death on some occasions, rolling 

 on its back and becoming limp. It will not bite. 



The common king snake or chain snake {Ophibolus getulus) 

 ranges from Southern New Jersey to Florida and westward to the 

 Pacific coast. Although a deadly enemy of the poisonous snakes of 

 America and apparently immune to their venom, Ditmars found 

 that when injected with the poison of the Cobra, they died within 

 the hour. The king snake is cannibalistic but is extremely fond of 

 rodents. A large king snake may be 6 feet long. The animal, 

 although such an enemy of other reptiles, is easily tamed by man. 

 The milk snake [Ophibolus doliatus) is found in the Northeastern 

 states. It frequents barns, hunting for mice, and has been mis- 

 takenly thought to rob the dairy, although it has never been caught 

 " milking the cows." The ring-necked snake (Diadophis regalis) 

 found west of Illinois is the largest of the genus. It lays eggs which 

 are so thin skinned that they hatch in half the time required by 

 other snake eggs. It lives under flat stones and in dead trees and 

 feeds upon earthworms, salamanders, young lizards and snakes. 

 The scarlet king snake ( Cemophora coccinea) is found in the south- 

 eastern part of the United States. Its chief interest is that it is 

 confused with the deadly coral snake. The scarlet snake feeds on 

 mice and reptiles. It is oviparous and coils around its eggs until 

 they are hatched. 



The Opisthoglypha are not as poisonous as the Elapine and Vi- 

 perine snakes, since they have furrowed or grooved fangs, located 

 at the extreme rearof the upper jaw. Ditmars, however, emphasizes 

 the fact that their venom acts on the nerves and that it will kill a 

 lizard more quickly than the bite of a viper. 



The annulated snake {Sibon septentrionalis) of Africa and the 

 tropical Americas, and the pike-headed snake {Oxybelis acuminatus) 



