78 



THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



Fasting Powers. 



Pythons have been known to fast for two and a half years. I 

 have kept Pythons in captivity which Hved from six months to 

 a year and a half without food. I did not purposely starve them. 

 I offered them their natural food from time to time, but never 

 succeeded in inducing them to eat. I dare say those I kept 

 would have lived much longer, but I did not care to see the 

 creatures starve to death, so began feeding them artificially. I 

 must admit, however, that after a year and a half of starvation, 

 they did not appear to be much emaciated. Although snakes 

 can fast a long time, they will die, as a rule, after a month or 

 two if deprived of water, except during the winter months, when 

 they will frequently coil up in a warm corner of their cage and 

 Ue dormant for three or four months. 



A Boa has been known to fast four years and one month, and 

 a Viper three years. 



Rudiments of Legs. 



Most Pythons still retain traces 



I'lG. 36. — Part of the flattened skin of a South African 

 Python showing the claws and bones whicli 

 indicate that the remote ancestors of Pythons 

 possessed legs. (From liritish Museum Guide. 

 Reptiles.) 



of the legs their remote 

 ancestors possessed, but 

 gradually lost, because 

 they did not use them 

 sufficiently. On exami- 

 nation, two horny spurs 

 will be found near the 

 vent, which are the ex- 

 ternal rudiments of hind 

 legs. Internally a por- 

 tion of the pelvis bones 

 still remain. Pythons 

 are doubtless the de- 

 scendants of huge pre- 

 historic lizard-like crea- 

 tures which lived upon 

 the surface of the 

 earth millions of years 

 ago. 



Stupid Indifference. 



Once I had a Python in captivity, and the perverse thing 

 would not eat. I introduced a big barn rat into its cage. The 



