NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



est care must be exercised, otherwise the skin gives 

 way. Special care has to be taken when sewing up 

 the specimens, as the sHghtest straining of the thread 

 will cause the skin to rip. The two sides should be 

 held together and carefully sewn. 



The enamel on the incisor teeth of the Cane Rat 

 is very hard, and the teeth themselves are so stout 

 that even an elephant's tusk can be gnawed into. 



The chief natural enemies of the Cane Rat are 

 the Striped Muishond or Pole Cat, the Snake 

 Muishond or Weasel, the Mungoose, Wild Cat, 

 and Python. The latter is of the utmost possible 

 value to the sugar planter. The cane brakes 

 afford an ideal home and hunting ground for the 

 Python, and when there are any of these reptiles 

 in the neighbourhood, they come out of their native 

 haunts and dwell in the midst of the cane plantations, 

 and relentlessly hunt down the destructive Cane 

 Rat, which is swallowed whole. The Python lies 

 concealed in close proximity to one of the tracks of 

 the Cane Rats, and the instant one of these animals 

 runs past, the snake, swift as an arrow from a bow, 

 darts its head at the animal, and once it fastens its 

 jaws, armed with sharp, recurved teeth upon its 

 victim, it is doomed. When swallowed, the entire 

 body of the Cane Rat is digested, including the bones. 

 The bristles only are excreted. 



The Python, often erroneously termed a Boa 

 Constrictor, is non-venomous, and in spite of its 

 huge size, is a most inoffensive reptile. However, 



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