﻿312 
  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1943 
  

  

  contained 
  72 
  young 
  snakes, 
  each 
  about 
  a 
  yard 
  long. 
  The 
  leather 
  made 
  

   from 
  anaconda 
  hide 
  is 
  strong 
  and 
  of 
  high 
  quality, 
  while 
  its 
  flesh 
  can 
  

   be 
  used 
  as 
  food, 
  since 
  all 
  snakes 
  are 
  edible. 
  In 
  Brazil 
  its 
  native 
  names 
  

   are 
  sucuri 
  or 
  sucurijuba. 
  Several 
  varieties 
  mostly 
  based 
  on 
  color 
  

   have 
  been 
  described. 
  

  

  The 
  Boa 
  

  

  The 
  boa 
  {Constrictor 
  constrictor, 
  pi. 
  20, 
  fig. 
  2) 
  has 
  a 
  much 
  wider 
  

   range 
  than 
  its 
  relative, 
  the 
  anaconda, 
  its 
  several 
  varieties 
  being 
  found 
  

   from 
  Mexico 
  to 
  the 
  Argentine. 
  Its 
  maximum 
  length 
  seems 
  to 
  

   be 
  about 
  13 
  feet. 
  Some 
  individuals 
  can 
  be 
  quickly 
  tamed 
  in 
  captivity, 
  

   but 
  others 
  remain 
  bad-tempered, 
  striking 
  and 
  hissing 
  with 
  a 
  great 
  

   show 
  of 
  ferocity. 
  Its 
  sharp, 
  recurved 
  teeth 
  can 
  inflict 
  a 
  very 
  severe 
  

   and 
  lacerating 
  bite. 
  It 
  seldom 
  stays 
  long 
  in 
  water, 
  but 
  is 
  an 
  excellent 
  

   climber 
  and 
  is 
  frequently 
  found 
  in 
  trees, 
  where 
  it 
  goes 
  to 
  hunt 
  for 
  

   nesting 
  or 
  sleeping 
  birds 
  and 
  small 
  mammals. 
  Its 
  hide 
  is 
  much 
  sought 
  

   after, 
  being 
  very 
  beautiful 
  in 
  color 
  and 
  pattern. 
  

  

  The 
  Belize 
  Crocodile 
  

  

  Found 
  in 
  great 
  numbers 
  in 
  the 
  Sibun 
  swamp 
  west 
  of 
  Belize, 
  Brit- 
  

   ish 
  Honduras, 
  the 
  Belize 
  crocodile 
  (Crocodylus 
  moreletii) 
  has 
  been 
  

   doubtfully 
  recorded 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  Tampico, 
  Mexico. 
  It 
  grows 
  to 
  

   about 
  10 
  feet 
  in 
  length. 
  Water 
  beetles 
  and 
  insects 
  comprise 
  the 
  

   food 
  of 
  the 
  younger 
  individuals. 
  It 
  is 
  too 
  shy 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  much 
  danger 
  

   to 
  bathers. 
  Its 
  hide 
  is 
  valuable 
  to 
  commerce. 
  

  

  The 
  Orinoco 
  Crocodile 
  

  

  Noted 
  for 
  its 
  ferocity, 
  the 
  Orinoco 
  crocodile 
  (Crocodylus 
  inter- 
  

   medials) 
  is 
  greatly 
  dreaded 
  by 
  the 
  Indians 
  who 
  live 
  in 
  the 
  Orinoco 
  

   Delta 
  where 
  it 
  occurs. 
  Early 
  writers 
  insisted 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  25 
  feet 
  long 
  

   when 
  full-grown, 
  but 
  few 
  over 
  10 
  feet 
  long 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  nowadays. 
  

  

  The 
  Caymans 
  

  

  In 
  Central 
  and 
  South 
  America 
  occur 
  seven 
  species 
  of 
  caymans, 
  two 
  

   species 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  smooth-fronted 
  genus 
  Paleosuchus, 
  the 
  others 
  

   to 
  the 
  "spectacled" 
  Caiman, 
  the 
  "spectacles" 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  consisting 
  

   of 
  a 
  heavy 
  ridge 
  of 
  bone 
  between 
  the 
  eyes, 
  lacking 
  in 
  the 
  former 
  genus. 
  

  

  Very 
  little 
  is 
  known 
  about 
  the 
  habits 
  and 
  life 
  histories 
  of 
  the 
  smooth- 
  

   fronted 
  caymans. 
  Both 
  species 
  are 
  small 
  (about 
  5 
  feet). 
  They 
  are 
  

   found 
  in 
  the 
  Paraguay, 
  Amazon, 
  and 
  Orinoco 
  Rivers. 
  As 
  far 
  as 
  is 
  

   known, 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  vicious 
  toward 
  man. 
  

  

  The 
  spectacled 
  caymans 
  live 
  in 
  streams 
  of 
  Central 
  and 
  South 
  

   America. 
  The 
  only 
  one 
  that 
  reaches 
  a 
  considerable 
  length 
  is 
  the 
  black 
  

   cayman, 
  Caiman 
  niger, 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Amazon, 
  and 
  known 
  to 
  reach 
  a 
  

   length 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  16 
  feet. 
  It 
  is 
  feared 
  by 
  the 
  natives, 
  who 
  tell 
  

  

  