IV. VHK RKPIILES OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENN- 

 SYLVANL'V. 



}W D. A. Atkinson. 



In compiling this list of local reptiles considerable difficulty has been 

 encountered owing to the thickly settled condition of Allegheny 

 County, and the lack of research in this branch l^efore the population 

 became so dense. Civilization means, among other things, the de- 

 struction of the natural fauna of a region, or at least of that portion 

 of it, which is neither easily domesticated, nor amply provided with 

 means for migrating before its advance. Especially is this true of 

 reptiles, which, owing to an ignorant prejudice, are generally killed 

 on sight without consideration of their usefulness or ' harmlessness. 

 Many species now rare in this locality must have been abundant at one 

 time, and at least two species have become extinct within the limits 

 of our county during the past forty years. 



The pollution of many of our streams, and through them some of 

 the swamps and ponds, by drainage from coal-mines, refuse from oil- 

 and gas-wells, and the waste products of the various kinds of manu- 

 factories, has played an important part in the decrease of the number 

 of our reptiles, chiefly by destroying their food-supply. As the ponds 

 and swamps are few and small, we have a scarcity of the species which 

 inhabit such places, especially of the aquatic turtles, which, with the 

 exception of several common species, are locally almost extinct. 



The fear and dislike with which most people regard snakes is to a 

 great extent groundless. Of the snakes, occurring in Allegheny 

 county at the present time, only one species, Ancistrodon contortrix 

 (copperhead), is at all poisonous, and its habits are such that it is 

 seldom met with, even where it occurs in abundance. The other 

 species are entirely harmless, and many of them are beneficial on ac- 

 count of their feeding on mice, rats, weasels, and insects. Some of 

 the larger species, notably the black -snakes, are accused of eating 

 eggs, also young chickens, and drinking milk. Undoubtedly they 

 may do this in some cases, but it is not their regular diet. Of course 

 " snake stories " have been told as far back as history extends, but 

 there is no excuse at the present day for the publication of such stories 

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