100 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
and not flattened like those of the cobras. They possess no power 
of elevating the skin of the neck in the form of the well-known 
“hood” of the cobra. If any snake expands a hood, and at the 
same time raises its head and the fore part of its body above the 
ground, you may rest assured it is one of the venomous cobra 
family. 
MOLE SNAKES ARE HARMLESS. 
The Mole Snake is quite non-venomous. It always kills its 
prey by constriction. The power which it can exert is very 
great. I have frequently held. Mole Snakes between my finger 
and thumb, and allowed them to coil round my wrist. Ina few 
minutes the blood circulation was arrested, and the hand grew 
cold and numb, so great was the power of constriction exerted 
by the snake. 
In captivity Mole Snakes rarely climb. They only seemed to 
do so when exploring their place of confinement, just after being 
placed therein. After a day or two they never attempt to climb 
the branches in the cage, and most of the time he buried in the 
sand with the head protruding, which they instantly withdraw 
if disturbed. In the wild state I have occasionally found them 
high up above ground in thick creepers, such, for instance, as 
the honeysuckle, grenadilla, and creeper-covered bushes. It 
is a common sight to see Mole Snakes basking in the sun near 
rat or mole holes, into which they instantly retire if disturbed. 
The Mole Snake is viviparous, giving birth to a great number 
of young, usually from thirty to forty-five. 
We procured one which measured seven feet three inches, and 
it gave birth to eighty-four young, which is the maximum number 
ever recorded. This specimen was, however, much larger than 
the average of Mole Snakes, which are usually from three to four 
feet in length. 
It is a grave mistake to kill Mole Snakes, for they are as harm- 
less as lizards, and are the farmer’s great allies, aiding him most 
efficiently in killing off those pests the rats, mice, and mole 
rats. They eat the useful little insect-eating mole, but that is a 
small matter in comparison to the great amount of good they 
accomplish. 
