336 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1923 



lower jaw near the tip. When biting the Gila monster holds on like 

 a bulldog so that the poison may have time to become absorbed in 

 the wound. No specific antidote is known. 



Several species of the commoner lizards of small size, native to 

 the Southeastern States, are usually shown.. The glossy blue-tailed 

 skink (Eumeccs qyhiquelmeatus) is one of the most handsome of 

 the eastern forms. It is common in pine woods, especially in the 

 South. The rough-scaled species, known as the swift (Sceloporus 

 undvlatus) , and the little lizard, called the "chameleon" (Anolis 

 caroUnensis) , are both abundant in favorable localities in many parts 

 of our Southern States. The latter species has the habit of changing 

 color and may be at times gray, green, or its normal shade of dull 

 brown. 



The largest known lizards are the monitors, of Africa, Asia, and 

 Australia. They differ from other lizards in having the tongue 

 forked like a snake. Specimens of one species, Gould's monitor 

 {Varanus goiddii) from Australia may be seen in the lion house. 

 This monitor grows to a length of nearly C> feet and has a voracious 

 appetite; it eats eggs, chickens, and small mammals. 



SNAKES 



While it is probably true that the great majority of people dis- 

 like snakes, it is also true that a collection of these reptiles attracts 

 extraordinary attention and adds greatly to the interest in a zoolo- 

 gical park. The larger snakes in particular are a never-ceasing 

 source of wonder to visitors, and the more spectacular of the lesser 

 species, like the rattlesnakes, are almost as popular an exhibit. 



One of the prize specimens in the snake department of the National 

 Zoological Park is a fine example of the anaconda {Eunectes mu- 

 rhms) , or water boa, of South America. The anaconda is the largest 

 of the American snakes and sometimes attains a length of over 20 

 feet. In color it is a yellowish green, marked with blackish spots. 

 Anacondas are essentially aquatic and spend much time in the water, 

 although they are perfectly at home in trees and are expert climbers. 

 The numerous young are born alive. The largest specimen in the 

 park collection has been here since August 17, 1899, and was a gift 

 from the governor of the State of Para, Brazil. 



In a near-by cage are three specimens of the Indian python {Py- 

 thon molurus), native to India, the Malay Peninsula, and Java. 

 The largest snakes known are of a related species (P. reticulatus) ; 

 there are apparently reliable records of individuals over 30 feet in 

 length. A specimen 25 feet long is by far the largest snake on 

 exhibition in the National Zoological Park. This python feeds al- 

 most entirely on pigs, and sometimes, after a fast of six weeks, eats, 



