﻿DANGEROUS 
  REPTILES 
  — 
  COCHRAN 
  305 
  

  

  hot, 
  dry 
  sand 
  through 
  which 
  it 
  prowls 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  rats 
  and 
  mice. 
  It 
  

   takes 
  freely 
  to 
  water, 
  where 
  it 
  devours 
  frogs 
  and 
  toads. 
  It 
  grows 
  to 
  

   6 
  feet 
  in 
  length. 
  By 
  disposition 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  irritable, 
  hissing 
  and 
  

   striking 
  repeatedly 
  at 
  the 
  slightest 
  disturbance. 
  

  

  The 
  Cape 
  cobra. 
  

  

  The 
  bad 
  temper 
  and 
  ferocity 
  of 
  this 
  snake 
  {Naja 
  fava) 
  is 
  well 
  

   recognized 
  in 
  the 
  south 
  of 
  Africa, 
  where 
  it 
  occurs 
  from 
  Cape 
  Colony 
  

   to 
  southern 
  Tanganyika. 
  It 
  is 
  found 
  with 
  several 
  different 
  colora- 
  

   tions, 
  individuals 
  being 
  yellowish, 
  reddish, 
  brown, 
  or 
  black. 
  It 
  

   frequently 
  climbs 
  trees 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  young 
  birds 
  and 
  eggs. 
  

  

  Several 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  cobras 
  inhabit 
  rather 
  restricted 
  areas 
  in 
  

   West 
  Africa 
  or 
  Angola, 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  nearly 
  "hoodless" 
  but 
  other- 
  

   wise 
  unmistakably 
  cobras. 
  

  

  The 
  water 
  cobras. 
  

  

  These 
  aquatic 
  cobras 
  (Boulengerina, 
  pi. 
  14, 
  fig. 
  2) 
  live 
  in 
  Cameroon, 
  

   the 
  French 
  and 
  Belgian 
  Congos, 
  and 
  in 
  Lake 
  Tanganyika. 
  In 
  the 
  

   last-named 
  place 
  they 
  stay 
  around 
  rocks, 
  on 
  top 
  of 
  which 
  they 
  bask 
  

   in 
  the 
  early 
  morning 
  sun 
  before 
  taking 
  to 
  the 
  lake. 
  They 
  grow 
  to 
  

   around 
  8 
  feet 
  in 
  length. 
  Their 
  degree 
  of 
  toxicity 
  is 
  not 
  definitely 
  

   known, 
  but 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  they 
  are 
  apparently 
  not 
  nearly 
  so 
  ag- 
  

   gressive 
  as 
  the 
  true 
  cobras. 
  Most 
  of 
  them 
  have 
  a 
  black 
  bar 
  behind 
  

   the 
  head, 
  followed 
  by 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  black, 
  usually 
  light-centered 
  spots. 
  

   They 
  probably 
  seldom 
  go 
  far 
  from 
  water. 
  

  

  The 
  mambas. 
  

  

  These 
  deadly 
  snakes 
  (Dendraspis, 
  pi. 
  15, 
  fig. 
  1) 
  are 
  set 
  apart 
  from 
  

   the 
  other 
  poisonous 
  snakes 
  of 
  Africa 
  by 
  their 
  extreme 
  slenderness. 
  

   This 
  makes 
  them 
  admirably 
  adapted 
  for 
  an 
  arboreal 
  existence, 
  and 
  

   their 
  green 
  or 
  blackish 
  coloration 
  makes 
  them 
  almost 
  indistinguishable 
  

   among 
  the 
  stems 
  of 
  climbing 
  vines. 
  The 
  head 
  is 
  narrow 
  and 
  the 
  eyes 
  

   large. 
  The 
  mamba 
  looks 
  rather 
  like 
  the 
  harmless 
  tree 
  snakes 
  of 
  sim- 
  

   ilar 
  build 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Tropics 
  of 
  both 
  hemispheres. 
  When 
  it 
  opens 
  

   its 
  mouth, 
  however, 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  mistaking 
  its 
  poisonous 
  character, 
  for 
  

   the 
  large 
  fangs 
  are 
  situated 
  at 
  the 
  very 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  mouth. 
  One 
  

   species 
  may 
  be 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  12 
  feet, 
  a 
  length 
  unmatched 
  anywhere 
  among 
  

   elapine 
  snakes 
  except 
  by 
  the 
  king 
  cobra 
  of 
  southern 
  Asia. 
  In 
  strik- 
  

   ing, 
  it 
  takes 
  advantage 
  of 
  its 
  length 
  by 
  doubling 
  back 
  its 
  neck 
  laterally 
  

   and 
  then 
  lunging 
  forward 
  nearly 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  length. 
  Birds 
  

   and 
  small 
  rodents 
  comprise 
  its 
  food 
  ; 
  in 
  searching 
  for 
  the 
  latter 
  it 
  often 
  

   takes 
  to 
  the 
  ground 
  and 
  even 
  enters 
  native 
  huts. 
  There 
  are 
  several 
  

   species 
  of 
  mambas 
  now 
  recognized, 
  and 
  in 
  distribution 
  they 
  pretty 
  

   well 
  cover 
  the 
  southern 
  part 
  of 
  Africa 
  north 
  to 
  Abyssinia 
  and 
  the 
  

   Niger. 
  Mambas 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  sociable, 
  several 
  males 
  and 
  fe- 
  

   males 
  being 
  frequently 
  found 
  inhabiting 
  the 
  same 
  hollow 
  in 
  the 
  trunk 
  

  

  