﻿DANGEROUS 
  REPTILES 
  — 
  COCHRAN 
  303 
  

  

  lizards 
  and 
  the 
  young 
  of 
  ground-nesting 
  birds, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  insect 
  larvae, 
  

   and 
  mice 
  and 
  rats. 
  It 
  is 
  highly 
  venomous. 
  

  

  The 
  sand 
  vipers. 
  

  

  The 
  Sahara 
  Desert 
  harbors 
  two 
  species 
  of 
  sand 
  vipers 
  (Aspis 
  conwta, 
  

   A. 
  vipera, 
  pi. 
  13, 
  fig. 
  1) 
  admirably 
  adapted 
  for 
  life 
  in 
  dry 
  desert 
  sand. 
  

   The 
  ribs 
  are 
  capable 
  of 
  flattening 
  the 
  body, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  muscular 
  

   arrangement 
  that 
  permits 
  the 
  snake 
  to 
  use 
  the 
  sharp 
  edges 
  of 
  its 
  

   flattened 
  body 
  to 
  shovel 
  sand 
  over 
  its 
  back 
  by 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  wavy 
  motion 
  

   that 
  permits 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  snake 
  to 
  sink 
  quickly 
  below 
  the 
  surface, 
  

   where 
  it 
  lies 
  with 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  its 
  head 
  protruding. 
  The 
  eyes 
  are 
  above 
  

   the 
  general 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  and 
  are 
  the 
  same 
  color 
  as 
  the 
  

   sand, 
  so 
  the 
  snake 
  cannot 
  readily 
  be 
  seen. 
  Aspis 
  cornuta 
  has 
  a 
  small, 
  

   sharp 
  spine 
  over 
  each 
  eye, 
  which 
  is 
  lacking 
  in 
  A. 
  vipera. 
  While 
  these 
  

   two 
  species 
  resemble 
  the 
  horned 
  adders 
  of 
  South 
  Africa 
  in 
  habits, 
  their 
  

   ranges 
  are 
  widely 
  separated, 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  several 
  structural 
  features 
  

   to 
  distinguish 
  them. 
  

  

  The 
  carpet 
  viper 
  (Echis 
  carinatus), 
  living 
  in 
  sandy 
  regions 
  of 
  

   Africa 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Equator 
  likewise 
  occurs 
  in 
  Arabia, 
  Persia, 
  and 
  

   India, 
  as 
  mentioned 
  above 
  (see 
  p. 
  297) 
  , 
  unlike 
  most 
  other 
  poisonous 
  

   snakes 
  of 
  Africa, 
  which 
  are 
  confined 
  to 
  their 
  own 
  continent. 
  It 
  some- 
  

   times 
  burrows 
  to 
  hide 
  but 
  is 
  not 
  confined 
  to 
  arid 
  plains, 
  since 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  

   on 
  grassy, 
  sandy 
  plains 
  or 
  even 
  in 
  sandy 
  forest 
  land. 
  It 
  is 
  less 
  than 
  a 
  

   yard 
  in 
  length, 
  marked 
  with 
  square 
  brown 
  spots 
  on 
  a 
  cream 
  or 
  reddish 
  

   ground 
  color. 
  It 
  is 
  nocturnal 
  by 
  habit 
  and 
  largely 
  insectivorous. 
  

  

  The 
  Cobras 
  and 
  Their 
  Allies 
  

  

  Except 
  for 
  Australia, 
  there 
  are 
  more 
  different 
  members 
  of 
  this 
  family 
  

   (Elapidae) 
  in 
  Africa 
  than 
  in 
  any 
  other 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  world. 
  They 
  are 
  

   terrestrial, 
  aquatic, 
  or 
  arboreal, 
  and 
  some 
  kind 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  almost 
  every 
  

   region 
  of 
  Africa 
  except 
  the 
  snow-clad 
  mountain 
  tops 
  and 
  sterile 
  des- 
  

   erts. 
  The 
  traveler 
  has 
  to 
  fear 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  biting 
  at 
  close 
  range 
  but 
  

   the 
  "spitting" 
  of 
  venom 
  from 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  by 
  some 
  species. 
  These 
  

   will 
  be 
  considered 
  first. 
  

  

  The 
  ringhals 
  or 
  spitting 
  snake. 
  

  

  This 
  snake 
  (Haemachates 
  haemachatus, 
  pi. 
  13, 
  fig. 
  2) 
  differs 
  from 
  

   other 
  cobras 
  in 
  having 
  keeled 
  scales, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  skin 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  shiny 
  

   and 
  sleek 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  its 
  relatives. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  smallest 
  of 
  the 
  cobras, 
  

   averaging 
  about 
  4 
  feet 
  in 
  length. 
  It 
  is 
  black 
  with 
  irregular 
  cross 
  bars 
  

   of 
  brown 
  above, 
  and 
  the 
  throat 
  often 
  has 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  white 
  or 
  yellow- 
  

   ish 
  bands, 
  hence 
  its 
  Dutch 
  name 
  of 
  ringhals 
  (ring 
  neck). 
  The 
  

   ringhals 
  is 
  aggressive 
  when 
  disturbed 
  and 
  will 
  advance 
  on 
  a 
  man 
  or 
  

   even 
  pursue 
  him 
  for 
  a 
  considerable 
  distance. 
  The 
  danger 
  from 
  this 
  

   snake 
  comes 
  when 
  people 
  stoop 
  toward 
  the 
  ground 
  or 
  rock 
  pile 
  where 
  

  

  