﻿318 
  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1943 
  

  

  grasshoppers. 
  Not 
  many 
  accidents 
  from 
  the 
  bite 
  of 
  this 
  crocodile 
  are 
  

   reported 
  ; 
  this 
  may 
  be 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  palisades 
  are 
  erected 
  in 
  the 
  

   river 
  near 
  villages 
  where 
  crocodiles 
  occur, 
  providing 
  places 
  of 
  safety 
  

   for 
  bathing 
  and 
  obtaining 
  water. 
  

  

  Two 
  other 
  crocodiles, 
  Osteolaemus 
  tetraspis 
  and 
  Osteoblepharon 
  

   osbomi, 
  are 
  characteristically 
  West 
  African 
  in 
  distribution. 
  The 
  for- 
  

   mer 
  has 
  a 
  very 
  short, 
  turned-up 
  snout 
  but 
  otherwise 
  looks 
  much 
  like 
  

   the 
  latter. 
  Both 
  are 
  rather 
  small, 
  not 
  exceeding 
  5 
  feet, 
  and 
  probably 
  

   are 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  dangerous 
  to 
  man. 
  

  

  The 
  African 
  Soft-shelled 
  Turtle 
  

  

  The 
  African 
  soft-shelled 
  turtle 
  (Trionyx 
  triunguis) 
  frequents 
  the 
  

   Nile, 
  the 
  Congo, 
  and 
  the 
  Senegal 
  Rivers 
  and 
  their 
  tributaries, 
  as 
  well 
  

   as 
  rivers 
  in 
  Syria, 
  When 
  fully 
  grown 
  its 
  shell 
  is 
  over 
  a 
  yard 
  in 
  

   length, 
  and 
  its 
  body 
  weight 
  200 
  pounds. 
  It 
  has 
  all 
  the 
  biting 
  ability 
  

   of 
  its 
  relatives 
  in 
  Asia 
  and 
  in 
  North 
  America. 
  In 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  its 
  

   range 
  this 
  turtle 
  is 
  hunted 
  and 
  eaten 
  by 
  the 
  natives. 
  

  

  AUSTRALIA 
  

  

  Except 
  for 
  the 
  large 
  pythons 
  and 
  some 
  monitor 
  lizards 
  and 
  the 
  salt- 
  

   water 
  crocodile, 
  this 
  region 
  has 
  few 
  nonpoisonous 
  dangerous 
  reptiles. 
  

  

  The 
  Diamond 
  Python 
  

  

  The 
  diamond 
  python 
  {Python 
  spilotes) 
  grows 
  to 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  20 
  feet, 
  

   hence 
  ranking 
  with 
  the 
  half-dozen 
  or 
  more 
  largest 
  living 
  serpents. 
  In 
  

   addition 
  to 
  eating 
  rats, 
  mice, 
  and 
  rabbits, 
  it 
  destroys 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  rarer 
  

   and 
  more 
  valuable 
  Australian 
  mammals. 
  Its 
  skin 
  is 
  much 
  sought 
  

   after, 
  and 
  python 
  farming 
  for 
  commercial 
  purposes 
  may 
  some 
  day 
  

   be 
  a 
  reality. 
  

  

  Other 
  Large 
  Snakes 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  give 
  only 
  a 
  brief 
  mention 
  of 
  the 
  six 
  or 
  seven 
  other 
  

   large 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  python 
  family 
  (genera 
  Python, 
  Liasis, 
  Aspi- 
  

   dites) 
  found 
  in 
  Australia, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  grow 
  to 
  16 
  feet 
  

   in 
  length. 
  They 
  are 
  mostly 
  arboreal 
  in 
  habit 
  and 
  have 
  great 
  muscular 
  

   power 
  in 
  constricting. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  well 
  to 
  emphasize 
  again 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  Australian 
  

   snakes 
  not 
  of 
  the 
  python 
  family 
  are 
  dangerously 
  poisonous. 
  

  

  The 
  Goanna 
  

  

  The 
  goanna 
  (Varanus 
  varius) 
  is 
  also 
  known 
  as 
  lace 
  monitor 
  or 
  

   (erroneously) 
  as 
  the 
  iguana. 
  It 
  climbs 
  trees 
  habitually 
  for 
  birds' 
  eggs 
  

   and 
  young 
  birds. 
  It 
  is 
  equally 
  fond 
  of 
  poultry 
  and 
  makes 
  itself 
  a 
  

   nuisance 
  in 
  the 
  henyards 
  of 
  populated 
  areas. 
  It 
  bites 
  severely 
  with 
  

   its 
  sharp 
  teeth 
  if 
  handled 
  incautiously. 
  

  

  