THE REPTILES 179 



bordered with yellow. In the old world, although there 

 are no members of the rattlesnake family, there are many 

 other snakes which are very dangerous. The cobra of 

 India is responsible for the death of about twenty thousand 

 persons a year. 



The copperhead and the water moccasin are members of 

 the same family as the rattlesnakes, but they have no 

 rattle. The former is copper colored and lives mainly 

 in the mountain districts of the Southern States; the latter 

 is aquatic and, like the copperhead, is very poisonous. 



Some snakes reach a great size, such as the boa con- 

 strictor, anaconda and the pythons some of which attain 

 a length of thirty feet. These, while non-poisonous, 

 swallow large animals after they have coiled about them 

 and crushed them in their coils. 



The lizards are mainly inhabitants of warm climates 

 and lovers of dry places. There are very few species in 

 the northern or eastern states, but in the arid regions of 

 the southwest they are quite abundant. As a rule lizards 

 are very active creatures, running over the ground and 

 up trees with surprising quickness. On hot days the liz- 

 ard seems especially to enjoy life, and he basks in the sun- 

 shine ever ready to dart at some insect that happens to 

 move in his vicinity. In most lizards the long slender 

 tail breaks off on slight provocation and when an individ- 

 ual is seized by this organ it is usually left in the hands 

 of the enemy, while the animal makes its escape; 

 a new tail is later regenerated. 



The chameleons of the old world are lizards which are 

 capable of striking and rapid changes of color. Commonly 

 green, they may change to brown and various interme- 

 diate shades owing to the modifications of the pigment 

 cells of the skin, as in the tree frogs. They are frequently 

 kept as pets. The " horned toads" of the western states 



