﻿DANGEROUS 
  REPTILES 
  — 
  COCHRAN 
  313 
  

  

  many 
  tales 
  of 
  its 
  voracity. 
  The 
  Paraguayan 
  cayman 
  (C. 
  yacare) 
  is 
  

   less 
  than 
  10 
  feet 
  in 
  length, 
  while 
  the 
  broad-snouted 
  cayman 
  (C. 
  

   latirostris) 
  from 
  the 
  Kio 
  Sao 
  Francisco 
  and 
  Alto 
  Parana 
  is 
  about 
  7 
  

   feet. 
  The 
  flesh, 
  especially 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  tail, 
  is 
  reported 
  to 
  be 
  excellent 
  

   eating. 
  

  

  Iguanas 
  and 
  Otheb 
  Large 
  Lizards 
  

  

  Several 
  kinds 
  of 
  large 
  lizards 
  (genera 
  Iguana, 
  Conolophus, 
  pi. 
  21, 
  fig. 
  

   1, 
  etc.) 
  can 
  bite 
  and 
  scratch 
  fiercely 
  when 
  captured. 
  The 
  true 
  iguanas 
  

   belonging 
  to 
  the 
  genus 
  Iguana 
  are 
  extremely 
  plentiful 
  over 
  most 
  of 
  

   tropical 
  America 
  including 
  the 
  southernmost 
  of 
  the 
  West 
  Indies. 
  The 
  

   value 
  of 
  their 
  flesh 
  as 
  food, 
  and 
  of 
  their 
  skins 
  for 
  leather, 
  makes 
  them 
  

   important 
  to 
  man 
  wherever 
  they 
  are 
  found. 
  Most 
  lizards 
  are 
  largely 
  

   insectivorous, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  insect-plagued 
  Tropics 
  every 
  natural 
  check 
  

   on 
  the 
  increase 
  of 
  insect 
  pests 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  encouraged. 
  

  

  EUROPE 
  AND 
  NORTHERN 
  ASIA 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  no 
  nonpoisonous 
  reptiles 
  of 
  sufficient 
  size 
  to 
  be 
  dangerous 
  

   to 
  man 
  in 
  this 
  region. 
  Some 
  snakes 
  here, 
  as 
  elsewhere, 
  will 
  defend 
  

   themselves 
  if 
  molested 
  by 
  attempting 
  to 
  bite. 
  As 
  these 
  snakes 
  can 
  

   do 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  break 
  the 
  skin 
  with 
  their 
  short 
  teeth, 
  they 
  will 
  not 
  

   be 
  further 
  discussed. 
  

  

  INDIA, 
  CHINA, 
  JAPAN, 
  AND 
  MALAYA 
  

  

  This 
  region 
  is 
  particularly 
  rich 
  in 
  large 
  and 
  dangerous, 
  though 
  non- 
  

   venomous, 
  reptiles. 
  The 
  pythons 
  come 
  first 
  to 
  mind, 
  then 
  the 
  Komodo 
  

   "dragon," 
  the 
  largest 
  of 
  all 
  lizards 
  living 
  today. 
  There 
  are 
  several 
  kinds 
  

   of 
  smaller 
  monitor 
  lizards, 
  close 
  relatives 
  of 
  the 
  Komodo 
  dragon, 
  able 
  

   to 
  battle 
  fiercely 
  with 
  tooth 
  and 
  claw 
  when 
  their 
  safety 
  is 
  at 
  stake. 
  

   The 
  salt-water 
  crocodile 
  is 
  known 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  man 
  eater 
  at 
  times, 
  and 
  the 
  

   Siamese 
  crocodile 
  is 
  not 
  blameless 
  in 
  this 
  respect. 
  The 
  mugger 
  and 
  

   the 
  gavial 
  are 
  less 
  dangerous 
  to 
  man. 
  The 
  several 
  kinds 
  of 
  soft- 
  

   shelled 
  turtles, 
  while 
  shy 
  and 
  retiring 
  in 
  habit, 
  have 
  knifelike 
  jaws 
  

   similar 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  their 
  North 
  American 
  relatives 
  and 
  resent 
  being 
  

   disturbed 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner. 
  

  

  The 
  Reticulated 
  Python 
  

  

  The 
  snakes 
  most 
  frequently 
  seen 
  by 
  the 
  American 
  public 
  in 
  side 
  

   shows 
  at 
  circuses 
  are 
  the 
  reticulated 
  python 
  (Python 
  reticulatus) 
  and 
  

   the 
  Indian 
  python. 
  The 
  former 
  is 
  known 
  to 
  reach 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  32 
  

   feet, 
  but 
  whether 
  this 
  snake 
  or 
  the 
  anaconda 
  of 
  South 
  America 
  can 
  

   truly 
  claim 
  the 
  title 
  of 
  "largest 
  snake 
  in 
  the 
  world" 
  is 
  still 
  somewhat 
  

   in 
  dispute. 
  A 
  28-foot 
  python 
  weighs 
  250 
  to 
  300 
  pounds, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  

   far 
  less 
  bulky 
  in 
  proportion 
  to 
  its 
  length 
  than 
  the 
  heavy-bodied 
  

  

  