﻿DANGEROUS 
  REPTILES 
  — 
  COCHRAN 
  309 
  

  

  its 
  venom 
  is 
  so 
  active 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  reckoned 
  as 
  highly 
  dangerous. 
  It 
  

   is 
  not 
  so 
  quick 
  to 
  strike 
  as 
  the 
  tiger 
  snake, 
  but 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  

   stepped 
  on, 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  constant 
  menace. 
  

  

  The 
  broad-headed 
  snake 
  (genus 
  HoplosephalusQ, 
  the 
  black 
  and 
  white 
  

   ringed 
  snake 
  (genus 
  Furina) 
  , 
  the 
  red-bellied 
  snake 
  (genus 
  Pseudelaps) 
  , 
  

   and 
  their 
  allies 
  are 
  not 
  considered 
  very 
  dangerous 
  to 
  man, 
  either 
  

   because 
  of 
  their 
  small 
  size, 
  their 
  relatively 
  weak 
  venom, 
  or 
  their 
  short 
  

   fangs, 
  and 
  therefore 
  will 
  not 
  be 
  considered 
  here. 
  The 
  status 
  of 
  the 
  

   poison 
  of 
  some 
  snakes, 
  such 
  as 
  Micropechis 
  ikahekae 
  of 
  New 
  Guinea 
  

   and 
  the 
  Solomons, 
  is 
  not 
  yet 
  established. 
  

  

  The 
  Sea 
  Snakes 
  

  

  This 
  family 
  (Hydrophidae) 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  other 
  family 
  of 
  poisonous 
  

   snakes 
  found 
  in 
  Australia 
  besides 
  the 
  Elapidae 
  just 
  discussed. 
  It 
  

   would 
  be 
  more 
  proper 
  to 
  say 
  "in 
  the 
  waters 
  off 
  the 
  coasts," 
  for 
  these 
  

   snakes 
  are 
  never 
  found 
  inland. 
  Twenty-seven 
  species 
  have 
  been 
  listed 
  

   from 
  the 
  waters 
  bathing 
  the 
  northern 
  shores 
  of 
  Australia 
  ; 
  these 
  belong 
  

   to 
  12 
  different 
  genera. 
  Since 
  this 
  group 
  has 
  been 
  discussed 
  under 
  the 
  

   section 
  on 
  "India, 
  China, 
  Japan, 
  and 
  Malaya," 
  it 
  will 
  not 
  be 
  further 
  

   touched 
  upon 
  here. 
  

  

  DANGEROUS 
  NONPOISONOUS 
  REPTILES 
  

  

  Certain 
  of 
  the 
  nonpoisonous 
  reptiles 
  may 
  be 
  important 
  to 
  man 
  for 
  

   one 
  or 
  more 
  of 
  three 
  reasons: 
  First, 
  because 
  their 
  large 
  size 
  and 
  

   great 
  strength 
  may 
  allow 
  them 
  to 
  bite, 
  scratch, 
  or 
  crush 
  whoever 
  is 
  

   unwary 
  enough 
  to 
  approach 
  them 
  too 
  closely; 
  second, 
  because 
  their 
  

   natural 
  food 
  may 
  comprise 
  rats, 
  mice, 
  and 
  other 
  pests 
  which, 
  if 
  un- 
  

   checked, 
  would 
  destroy 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  man's 
  industry; 
  third, 
  because 
  

   their 
  skins, 
  flesh, 
  or 
  eggs 
  may 
  be 
  economically 
  useful. 
  While 
  the 
  

   following 
  comments 
  are 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  complete, 
  they 
  will 
  nevertheless 
  

   bring 
  to 
  mind 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  dangerous 
  nonpoisonous 
  reptiles 
  to 
  be 
  

   encountered 
  in 
  the 
  various 
  geographic 
  regions, 
  with 
  a 
  brief 
  mention 
  

   of 
  their 
  positive 
  economic 
  importance. 
  

  

  NORTH 
  AMERICA 
  

  

  The 
  three 
  large 
  nonpoisonous 
  reptiles 
  on 
  this 
  continent 
  which 
  may 
  do 
  

   considerable 
  bodily 
  harm 
  if 
  they 
  are 
  interfered 
  with 
  are 
  the 
  Ameri- 
  

   can 
  crocodile, 
  the 
  alligator, 
  and 
  the 
  alligator-snapper 
  (a 
  turtle) 
  ; 
  a 
  

   smaller 
  but 
  very 
  vicious 
  turtle, 
  the 
  common 
  snapping 
  turtle, 
  is 
  also 
  

   considered. 
  The 
  several 
  species 
  of 
  soft-shelled 
  turtles 
  (family 
  Triony- 
  

   chidae) 
  occurring 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  are 
  vicious 
  biters 
  like 
  their 
  rela- 
  

   tives 
  in 
  Asia 
  and 
  Africa, 
  but 
  their 
  smaller 
  size 
  — 
  not 
  exceeding 
  a 
  shell 
  

   length 
  of 
  18 
  inches 
  — 
  does 
  not 
  warrant 
  their 
  inclusion 
  among 
  the 
  more 
  

   dangerous 
  reptiles 
  of 
  this 
  area. 
  

  

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