40 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



being so large, prey mostly upon ]\Ionkeys, Cane Rats, Hares, 

 and Dassies, as well as the smaller antelopes and the larger birds. 



Each species of snake has its own favourite food. The Puff 

 Adder is fond of rats, mice, young birds, and lizards ; the Cobra 

 prefers toads, rats, mice, hzards, and other snakes ; Water 

 Snakes like fish and frogs; Tree Snakes prefer birds, birds' eggs and 

 their j^oung, chameleons and other tree lizards. Ringhals are 

 partial to toads ; Schaapstekers to lizards ; House Snakes to 

 young rats and mice ; Egg-eating Snakes to fresh eggs ; Mole 

 Snakes like rats, birds, and other snakes' eggs. 



Snakes, in the wild state, probably never eat any creature 

 which they might find already dead. They hunt living prey. 

 In captivitj^ they can usualty be induced to eat dead animals 

 and reptiles. After the snake has become fairly tame and used 

 to its surroundings, it wll sometimes seize and swallow a dead 

 creature which is dangled in front of its nose, or gently laid 

 there. Sometimes we suspended the dead bodies of birds, rats, 

 mice, frogs, or toads, by a fine silken thread from the top of the 

 snake-cage. The slightest vibration caused the bpdies to twist 

 and turn. In this way the snakes were deceived into the belief 

 that the creatures were alive, whereupon they seized, and de- 

 voured them. Snakes can easily be tamed and taught to take 

 food from the fingers. Several of the live snakes at the old Port 

 Elizabeth Museum were fed by an assistant in this manner. A 

 friend of mine had a tame Boomslang which took chameleons 

 and frogs from his fingers. It was so tame that he allowed it 

 out of its cage. It delighted to explore the room. If a stranger 

 entered, or there happened to be anj^ other cause for alarm, it 

 instantly sought refuge in its cage. When my friend held a 

 chameleon up in front of the cage, the Boomslang would work 

 itself up into a tremendous state of excitement. When the 

 door was opened, it darted out like a flash, threw a coil or two 

 of its tail round my friend's neck and arm, and gently took 

 the chameleon into its mouth and proceeded forthwith to 

 swallow it. 



In those days we considered Boomslangs to be practically 

 harmless, and in consequence handled them freely. However, 

 our safety lay in our habit of always being gentle in handling 

 snakes. It is the only way to tame them. Even the sluggish 

 and surly Puff Adder can be tamed by frequent handling, but 1 



