﻿280 
  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  194 
  3 
  

  

  nearly 
  40 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  kinds 
  of 
  poisonous 
  reptiles 
  in 
  our 
  

   country. 
  

  

  The 
  poisonous 
  snakes 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  belong 
  to 
  two 
  major 
  

   groups 
  : 
  the 
  Elapidae, 
  represented 
  by 
  coral 
  snakes, 
  which 
  are 
  related 
  

   to 
  the 
  cobras 
  of 
  Asia 
  and 
  Africa, 
  and 
  the 
  Crotalidae 
  or 
  pit 
  vipers, 
  

   represented 
  by 
  the 
  true 
  rattlesnakes, 
  the 
  pigmy 
  rattlers, 
  the 
  massa- 
  

   sauga, 
  the 
  copperhead, 
  and 
  the 
  cottonmouth. 
  

  

  The 
  venoms 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  species 
  of 
  poisonous 
  snakes 
  differ 
  to 
  a 
  

   greater 
  or 
  less 
  degree. 
  

  

  All 
  venoms 
  are 
  complex 
  mixtures 
  containing 
  several 
  toxic 
  elements. 
  In 
  gen- 
  

   eral 
  these 
  may 
  be 
  divided 
  into 
  two 
  main 
  groups 
  — 
  the 
  neurotoxins 
  and 
  the 
  

   haemotoxins. 
  Apparently 
  all 
  snake 
  venoms 
  include 
  the 
  neurotoxic 
  factors, 
  and 
  it 
  

   is 
  these 
  which 
  usually 
  bring 
  about 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  the 
  snakes' 
  victims. 
  They 
  have 
  

   several 
  different 
  actions 
  against 
  nerve 
  tissues, 
  most 
  important 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  their 
  

   effect 
  against 
  the 
  nerve 
  centers 
  controlling 
  respiration. 
  Death 
  following 
  snake 
  

   bite 
  most 
  often 
  results 
  directly 
  from 
  respiratory 
  failure. 
  The 
  venoms 
  of 
  the 
  

   cobras, 
  coral 
  snakes, 
  and 
  their 
  allies 
  are 
  almost 
  purely 
  neurotoxic, 
  but 
  viper 
  

   and 
  pit 
  viper 
  venoms 
  usually 
  attack 
  the 
  circulatory 
  system 
  as 
  well. 
  The 
  common 
  

   effects 
  of 
  the 
  haemotoxins 
  in 
  such 
  venoms 
  are 
  destruction 
  of 
  red 
  blood 
  cells 
  and 
  

   weakening 
  of 
  the 
  walls 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  blood 
  vessels, 
  particularly 
  the 
  capillaries. 
  

   (Nigel 
  Wolff.) 
  

  

  The 
  Coral 
  Snakes 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  group, 
  family 
  Elapidae, 
  is 
  very 
  similar 
  in 
  build 
  to 
  most 
  

   harmless 
  snakes. 
  The 
  poison 
  apparatus 
  consists 
  of 
  short, 
  vertical 
  

   fangs 
  requiring 
  a 
  full 
  bite 
  for 
  the 
  injection 
  of 
  the 
  poison. 
  There 
  

   is 
  no 
  very 
  conspicuous 
  enlargement 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  jaws 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  

   triangular 
  shape 
  to 
  the 
  head 
  supposedly 
  characteristic 
  of 
  poisonous 
  

   species. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  repeatedly 
  asserted 
  that 
  the 
  mouth 
  [of 
  the 
  coral 
  snake] 
  is 
  so 
  small 
  

   that 
  it 
  cannot 
  bite 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  other 
  poisonous 
  snakes. 
  This, 
  however, 
  is 
  some- 
  

   what 
  of 
  a 
  mistake. 
  Externally 
  and 
  superficially 
  the 
  head 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  appears 
  very 
  

   short 
  and 
  narrow, 
  and 
  the 
  opening 
  of 
  the 
  gape 
  but 
  of 
  slight 
  capacity. 
  An 
  ex- 
  

   amination 
  of 
  the 
  skeleton, 
  however, 
  shows 
  the 
  skull 
  to 
  be 
  comparatively 
  large 
  

   and 
  rather 
  elongate, 
  especially 
  the 
  cranial 
  part, 
  which 
  occupies 
  fully 
  two-thirds 
  

   of 
  the 
  total 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  head. 
  The 
  articulation 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  jaw, 
  which 
  is 
  cor- 
  

   respondingly 
  lengthened, 
  is 
  consequently 
  far 
  enough 
  back 
  to 
  permit, 
  by 
  means 
  

   of 
  the 
  elasticity 
  of 
  the 
  ligaments, 
  the 
  opening 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  quite 
  out 
  of 
  pro- 
  

   portion 
  to 
  the 
  external 
  aspect 
  of 
  the 
  snake. 
  3 
  

  

  Since 
  the 
  coral 
  snake 
  is 
  often 
  sluggish 
  and 
  "gentle" 
  when 
  handled, 
  

   some 
  persons 
  have 
  said 
  that 
  it 
  can 
  hardly 
  be 
  induced 
  to 
  bite. 
  It 
  some- 
  

   times 
  will 
  bite 
  very 
  suddenly 
  and 
  unexpectedly, 
  however, 
  but 
  as 
  the 
  

   wound 
  appears 
  small 
  and 
  unimportant, 
  the 
  necessary 
  treatment 
  is 
  

   often 
  neglected, 
  with 
  serious 
  results 
  to 
  the 
  victim 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  

   highly 
  toxic 
  character 
  of 
  its 
  poison. 
  

  

  3 
  Stejneger, 
  L., 
  Poisonous 
  snakes 
  of 
  North 
  America. 
  Ann. 
  Rep. 
  U. 
  S. 
  Nat. 
  Mus. 
  for 
  1893, 
  

   p. 
  355, 
  1895. 
  

  

  