﻿DANGEROUS 
  REPTILES 
  — 
  COCHRAN 
  317 
  

  

  some 
  native 
  villages, 
  for 
  it 
  is 
  often 
  reputed 
  to 
  be 
  supernatural, 
  hence 
  is 
  

   avoided 
  by 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  the 
  region. 
  Wart 
  hogs 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  kill 
  pythons 
  

   sometimes, 
  and 
  crocodiles 
  may 
  occasionally 
  become 
  involved 
  in 
  a 
  

   struggle 
  when 
  the 
  snake 
  drinks 
  at 
  a 
  river. 
  In 
  Natal 
  the 
  rock 
  python 
  is 
  

   a 
  valuable 
  ally 
  of 
  the 
  sugarcane 
  growers, 
  for 
  it 
  devours 
  considerable 
  

   numbers 
  of 
  rats 
  and 
  is 
  the 
  chief 
  enemy 
  of 
  the 
  destructive 
  cane-eating 
  

   rat. 
  Pythons 
  are 
  in 
  consequence 
  encouraged, 
  and 
  semitame 
  specimens 
  

   frequent 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  sugar 
  factories. 
  There 
  are 
  very 
  few 
  authentic 
  

   cases 
  of 
  human 
  casualties 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  rock 
  python's 
  embrace, 
  although 
  

   there 
  are 
  plently 
  of 
  instances 
  of 
  fully 
  adult 
  persons 
  being 
  caught 
  who 
  

   were 
  strong 
  enough 
  to 
  get 
  away. 
  

  

  The 
  Waral 
  and 
  Other 
  Monitors 
  

  

  The 
  waral 
  {Varanus 
  niloticus), 
  sometimes 
  called 
  the 
  Nile 
  monitor, 
  

   is 
  found 
  all 
  over 
  Africa 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  northwestern 
  part, 
  being 
  espe- 
  

   cially 
  conspicuous 
  along 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  Nile. 
  It 
  is 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  

   aquatic 
  in 
  habit 
  and 
  lives 
  largely 
  on 
  fish, 
  but 
  eats 
  rats 
  and 
  mice 
  with 
  

   avidity 
  also. 
  Its 
  habit 
  of 
  digging 
  up 
  and 
  eating 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  young 
  

   of 
  the 
  crocodile 
  is 
  sufficient 
  reason 
  to 
  ensure 
  its 
  respectful 
  regard 
  by 
  

   the 
  natives. 
  Its 
  total 
  length 
  when 
  full-grown 
  is 
  slightly 
  over 
  5 
  feet. 
  

  

  Several 
  other 
  monitors 
  occur 
  in 
  Africa, 
  though 
  ranging 
  over 
  a 
  

   less 
  extensive 
  area 
  than 
  does 
  the 
  waral. 
  Some 
  live 
  in 
  desert 
  regions, 
  

   one 
  of 
  these, 
  Varanus 
  griseus, 
  being 
  found 
  in 
  southern 
  Asia. 
  All 
  can 
  

   bite 
  and 
  scratch 
  fiercely, 
  and 
  the 
  tail-lashing 
  habit 
  is 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  

   prevalent. 
  

  

  The 
  Nile 
  Crocodile 
  

  

  The 
  Nile 
  crocodile 
  {Crocodylus 
  niloticus) 
  attains 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  17 
  feet, 
  

   and 
  is 
  generally 
  abundant 
  from 
  the 
  Nile 
  to 
  the 
  Senegal, 
  and 
  south 
  to 
  

   the 
  Cape 
  of 
  Good 
  Hope, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  Madagascar. 
  It 
  is 
  extremely 
  

   vicious 
  and 
  dangerous, 
  taking 
  many 
  lives 
  each 
  year. 
  Its 
  food 
  consists 
  

   chiefly 
  of 
  fish, 
  with 
  birds 
  and 
  mammals 
  unwary 
  enough 
  to 
  come 
  near 
  

   it. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  laid 
  in 
  dry 
  sand, 
  40 
  to 
  60 
  in 
  number, 
  and 
  are 
  about 
  

   the 
  size 
  of 
  goose 
  eggs. 
  The 
  young 
  are 
  nearly 
  6 
  inches 
  long 
  when 
  

   hatched. 
  They 
  make 
  for 
  water 
  at 
  once, 
  although 
  many 
  of 
  them 
  be- 
  

   come 
  the 
  prey 
  of 
  the 
  Nile 
  monitor 
  {Varanus 
  niloticus) 
  as 
  already 
  

   mentioned. 
  The 
  ancient 
  Egyptians 
  worshiped 
  the 
  crocodile, 
  and 
  its 
  

   mummified 
  remains 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  tombs 
  dating 
  back 
  thousands 
  

   of 
  years. 
  

  

  The 
  Long-snouted 
  Crocodile 
  

  

  The 
  long-snouted 
  crocodile 
  {Crocodylus 
  cataphractus) 
  is 
  definitely 
  

   a 
  West 
  African 
  species, 
  being 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  Congo 
  basin. 
  It 
  attains 
  

   a 
  length 
  of 
  12 
  feet. 
  Like 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  gavial 
  of 
  India, 
  its 
  elongated 
  snout 
  

   is 
  ideally 
  adapted 
  for 
  fishing. 
  Young 
  individuals 
  feed 
  on 
  anything 
  

   they 
  can 
  find, 
  including 
  shrimps, 
  crabs, 
  frogs, 
  snakes, 
  fish, 
  and 
  even 
  

  

  