﻿DANGEROUS 
  REPTILES 
  — 
  COCHRAN 
  315 
  

  

  aquatic 
  than 
  the 
  other 
  Asiatic 
  species. 
  It 
  climbs 
  trees 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  

   food, 
  but 
  when 
  frightened, 
  it 
  takes 
  to 
  the 
  water 
  for 
  safety 
  and 
  has 
  

   been 
  seen 
  swimming 
  far 
  out 
  at 
  sea. 
  It 
  can 
  run 
  at 
  good 
  speed 
  when 
  

   pursuing 
  its 
  prey 
  on 
  land. 
  The 
  soft-shelled 
  eggs, 
  from 
  15 
  to 
  30 
  in 
  

   a 
  clutch, 
  are 
  laid 
  at 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  rainy 
  season 
  in 
  holes 
  on 
  the 
  

   bank 
  of 
  a 
  river 
  or 
  in 
  trees 
  beside 
  the 
  water. 
  The 
  desert 
  monitor 
  

   (Varanus 
  griseus) 
  lives 
  in 
  arid 
  regions 
  of 
  northwestern 
  India 
  west- 
  

   ward 
  throughout 
  southern 
  Asia 
  to 
  the 
  Caspian 
  Sea 
  and 
  North 
  Africa. 
  

   It 
  retires 
  to 
  its 
  own 
  burrow 
  or 
  the 
  disused 
  hole 
  of 
  some 
  other 
  animal 
  

   during 
  the 
  heat 
  of 
  the 
  day. 
  The 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  monitors 
  are 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  intermediate 
  in 
  habits 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  mentioned. 
  Monitors 
  

   can 
  be 
  destructive 
  to 
  poultry 
  and 
  their 
  eggs, 
  but 
  this 
  is 
  offset 
  by 
  the 
  

   number 
  of 
  rats 
  and 
  mice 
  that 
  they 
  destroy. 
  They 
  can 
  all 
  bite 
  and 
  

   claw 
  with 
  great 
  vigor 
  when 
  hunted 
  down, 
  and 
  the 
  tail 
  is 
  often 
  used 
  as 
  

   a 
  lash. 
  Other 
  monitors 
  occurring 
  in 
  Africa 
  will 
  be 
  mentioned 
  below. 
  

  

  The 
  Soft-shelled 
  Turtles 
  

  

  Several 
  genera 
  of 
  soft-shelled 
  turtles 
  (family 
  Trionychidae) 
  , 
  all 
  very 
  

   similar 
  in 
  appearance, 
  occupy 
  the 
  region 
  under 
  discussion. 
  They 
  are 
  

   fond 
  of 
  burying 
  themselves 
  in 
  mud, 
  with 
  only 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  back 
  exposed, 
  where 
  they 
  remain 
  nearly 
  invisible 
  waiting 
  for 
  their 
  

   food 
  to 
  pass, 
  when 
  they 
  seize 
  it 
  with 
  a 
  quick 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  long 
  neck. 
  

   They 
  eat 
  fish, 
  mollusks, 
  and 
  frogs, 
  but 
  will 
  take 
  carrion 
  also. 
  Much 
  

   of 
  their 
  food 
  is 
  found 
  by 
  hunting, 
  for 
  they 
  are 
  extremely 
  voracious, 
  

   and 
  very 
  active 
  when 
  swimming, 
  although 
  clumsy 
  on 
  land. 
  The 
  

   adults 
  are 
  vicious 
  and 
  powerful 
  creatures, 
  some 
  species 
  with 
  the 
  upper 
  

   shell 
  nearly 
  a 
  yard 
  long. 
  They 
  are 
  dangerous 
  to 
  handle, 
  for 
  they 
  can 
  

   give 
  severe 
  bites. 
  Their 
  long 
  flexible 
  necks 
  enable 
  them 
  to 
  reach 
  most 
  

   parts 
  of 
  their 
  body, 
  and 
  when 
  catching 
  them 
  the 
  only 
  place 
  to 
  hold 
  

   them 
  with 
  safety 
  is 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  soft 
  disk 
  or 
  "shell" 
  just 
  in 
  front 
  

   of 
  the 
  hind 
  limbs. 
  Their 
  flesh 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  delicious, 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  for 
  

   sale 
  in 
  many 
  markets 
  of 
  the 
  Orient. 
  

  

  The 
  Salt- 
  water 
  or 
  Estuarine 
  Crocodile 
  

  

  The 
  salt-water 
  or 
  estuarine 
  crocodile 
  (Grocodyhis 
  porosus, 
  pi. 
  22, 
  fig. 
  

   1) 
  can 
  without 
  any 
  doubt 
  be 
  called 
  the 
  giant 
  among 
  living 
  reptiles, 
  be- 
  

   cause 
  authentic 
  specimens 
  measuring 
  more 
  than 
  20 
  feet 
  are 
  known 
  from 
  

   the 
  Philippines. 
  The 
  species 
  ranges 
  also 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  coast 
  of 
  India, 
  

   Ceylon, 
  Malaya, 
  the 
  north 
  coast 
  of 
  Australia, 
  the 
  Solomon 
  and 
  Fiji 
  

   Islands. 
  It 
  lives 
  in 
  the 
  mouths 
  of 
  muddy 
  rivers 
  and 
  canals 
  near 
  the 
  sea, 
  

   seldom 
  ascending 
  a 
  river 
  above 
  tidal 
  limits, 
  and 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  several 
  

   miles 
  out 
  to 
  sea. 
  Its 
  huge 
  size 
  enables 
  it 
  to 
  overcome 
  large 
  and 
  powerful 
  

   animals. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  species 
  that 
  causes 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  annual 
  loss 
  of 
  human 
  

   lives 
  in 
  Asia 
  which 
  is 
  attributed 
  to 
  crocodiles. 
  When 
  an 
  individual 
  

  

  