NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK HOLLISTER 337 



within a few days, three young pigs weighing from 12 to 16 pounds 

 each. The reticulated python inhabits the Malay region and the 

 Philippines. Pythons, like the boas, are constrictors, and kill their 

 prey by crushing. The pythons lay eggs, which are hatched by the 

 mother who coils arounds them. The eggs number from 50 to 100. 

 These snakes are particularly fond of climbing, and the specimens in 

 the park collection spend much time coiled in the tops of the small 

 trees within their inclosure. The diamond snake {Python spilotes), 

 found only near the east coast of Australia, is blackish with a yellow 

 spot in the center of each scale. It is one of the most attractive of 

 the pythons in captivity and the specimens in the collection are much 

 more active than is usual with large snakes. A closely related form 

 known as the carpet snake has a much wider distribution in Australia. 



The common boa, or boa constrictor (Constrictor constrictor) is a 

 tropical American species of large size, but considerably smaller than 

 the anaconda and the larger pythons. It is said rarely to reach a 

 length of 12 feet. Several examples are shown, the largest of which 

 came from Trinidad and is about 10 feet in length. A small specimen 

 of the boa was found in the Washington Market packed with a 

 bunch of bananas, and was sent to the park. This involuntary stowa- 

 way is doing nicely in his new home. Other species of boas are found 

 in South America, the West Indies, and, strangely enough, in 

 Madagascar. 



Many species of North American snakes are usually on exhibition. 

 Most of these are of comparatively small size, but some of them 

 are of great beauty and others are interesting because of their terri- 

 ble appearance and deadly poison. In the latter class may be men- 

 tioned the rattlesnakes, copperheads, and moccasins. 



The rattlesnakes are confined to America, where many species 

 are known, the majority of which are found in the western United 

 States. The common or banded rattler (Crotalus honJdus) was 

 formerly found in many parts of the Eastern States, north into 

 Maine, but has now disappeared from much of its former range. 

 It sometimes grows to 5 feet or more in length. The largest rattler 

 is the diamond back (C. adamanteus) , which in its typical form 

 in the Southern States reaches an immense size. Many specimens 

 are on record from Florida which measured over 6 feet in length, 

 and there are apparently authentic accounts of diamond backs of 

 between 8 and 9 feet. The bite of one of these large rattlers is very 

 likely to prove fatal. 



Closely related to the rattlesnakes are the moccasin (Agkistrodon 

 piscivorus) and the copperhead (A. mokasen). Both are poisonous 

 species. The copperhead is one of the most dangerous snakes in 

 the Eastern and Southern States because he holds his own in thickly 

 settled communities; they are not uncommon about Washington, 



