SNAKES : THE PYTHON 93 



with him in a cage, and this went on for over a month, 

 in fact until I sent the snake away. 



Rats are known often to gnaw at and sometimes kill 

 sluggish snakes with which they are shut up, the latter 

 sleeping on, and apparently allowing themselves to be 

 worried without taking any notice. 



While not precisely hibernating in the strict sense of 

 the term, snakes are so susceptible to cold that, during 

 the winter months in south Africa, they remain almost 

 entirely under ground. A hot day may, however, tempt 

 them abroad, and therefore, no matter what the time 

 of year, it is always advisable to keep a sharp look-out 

 when walking through thick grass or bushwood. Snakes 

 crawl by alternate movements of the ribs, the heads of 

 which are, as it were, hinged to the sections of the back- 

 bone ; therefore, on a perfectly smooth surface, such as 

 glass, they are helpless, while a prickly exterior, as that 

 of cocoanut matting, hurts the lower extremities of 

 the ribs and so is avoided. 



Some species of snakes are egg-laying, while others 

 bring forth their young alive. The senses of hearing, 

 smell, and sight are, in most species, very well developed. 

 They eat mammals, birds, frogs, lizards, and eggs, and, 

 in the reduction of the swarming numbers of small rodents, 

 are of considerable service to the agriculturist. 



Although the greater number of species are non- 

 venomous, it is too much to expect the ordinary layman 

 to be able to discriminate. Therefore, except in the case 

 of such easily distinguishable forms as the blind burrowing 

 snakes, which look rather like overgrown worms, most 

 people will consider it always more expedient to be on the 

 safe side. 



When in camp, the precaution of shaking out the 

 bedclothes before retiring for the night, and in the 



