38 THE SNAKES “OF SOUTH AERICA:. 
Snakes and House Snakes. Mole Snakes in captivity never attempt 
to climb. Occasionally, in the wild condition, I have found them 
basking in the sun on the tops of creeper-clad shrubs. 
The snake, whose natural home is in trees, such as the Mamba, 
Boomslang, and Bird Snake, glides with tremendous rapidity 
through the foliage, appearing barely to touch it in their rapid 
flight. In fact, they seem at times to glide through the branches, 
twigs, and leaves without touching them. These Tree Snakes move 
by gripping the twigs, bark, and branches with the sharp corners of 
their abdominal shields, which are, in turn, worked by means of 
the ribs and muscle attachments. The snake’s body is twisted 
in and out, under and over the branches and twigs. Snakes 
never climb by coiling round a branch as is often depicted in 
pictures. 
Puff Adders ascend trees occasionally, but only under excep- 
tional circumstances. Sometimes during heavy rains their 
haunts get flooded, whereupon they climb up the nearest tree. 
Occasionally they make their home in a patch of dense bush, which 
may perhaps cover acres of land. Being unable to get to the 
beloved sunshine on the ground, they ascend the trees on warm 
sunny days and lie among the twigs at the tops and bask in the 
warm rays. Puff Adders frequently do this in the forest belt 
known as the “ Dene,’ Port Elizabeth. This forest is very 
dense. The trees were planted by Government with the object 
of fixing the drifting sand which threatened to cover up the 
southern portion of Port Elizabeth. 
Pythons are expert climbers, although they are usually of 
such huge bulk. They follow the arboreal Vervet and Samango 
monkeys to their leafy lairs and levy toll upon them in the even- 
ing by lying motionless among the leafy twigs and darting out 
with gaping jaws, like an arrow from a bow, when the monkeys 
are passing on their way to bed. 
SNAKES’ Foon. 
Snakes prey upon many kinds of living creatures, chief among 
which are rats, mice, birds and their eggs, toads, frogs, lizards, 
insects and their larve. Many kinds of snakes eat their 
young, and other species of snakes, when opportunity offers. 
Pythons, of course, being so large, prey mostly upon Monkeys, 
