92 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



CHAPTER XIII 

 SNAKES : THE PYTHON 



THERE are some ninety species of snakes known in Africa 

 south of the Zambezi, of which about twenty-five are 

 poisonous. Many of the forms are, of course, identical 

 with, or only slightly variant from those found in other 

 parts of the continent. 



Snakes are all alike in having no eyelids, the place of 

 the latter being taken by a transparent scale, on the 

 same principle as a watch-glass ; and they all change their 

 skins periodically, in full-grown specimens, generally 

 about once a year. They will habitually eat only prey 

 which they have killed themselves. 



There does not seem to be much foundation fui the 

 popular belief regarding snakes " fascinating " their 

 prey before striking it. I have seen a number of birds 

 fluttering about and screaming close to a mamba, cobra, 

 or other snake in a tree. On these occasions the birds 

 were, however, undoubtedly trying to frighten it away. 

 In their excitement on such occasions and birds are 

 very excitable animals one or another dashes in a bit 

 too close and suffers accordingly. In a confined space 

 a solitary unfortunate bird, feeling he cannot get away, 

 flutters and darts about in front of the snake with the 

 terror of despair. I do not think he is any more 

 " fascinated " than he would be by a cat or a weasel 

 under the same conditions. 



As regards rats and other small four-legged creatures, 

 they really do not seem to show any great fear of snakes 

 while the latter keep quiet. A cane rat used to sleep 

 habitually on the top of a big python I had confined 



