134 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



been completely digested, and the now plump and sleek House 

 Snake became as active as ever. 



The Red-Lipped or Herald Snake. Roode-Lip Slang. 

 {Leptodira hoiambceia.) 



This is one of the best-known and most wide-spread snakes 

 in Africa. It is found from the Cape, right away through the 

 continent to the northern states of Africa. 



It is known in the Eastern Province of the Cape Colonj^ as the 

 Herald Snake, being named such by Mr. J. M. Leslie, who was 

 the first to discover it in these parts. It was named in honour of 

 tlie Eastern Province Herald. 



The Herald Snake haunts gardens in the vicinity of houses, 

 taking refuge under pieces of timber, old tubs, rubbish, etc. It 

 usually ventures out about sundown, and may frequently be seen 

 on garden paths and public roads on moonlight nights. If 

 attempts be made at capture, it will bite fiercely. If trodden 

 upon it will instantly bite. Its fangs, however, are set far back 

 in the jaw, and are comparatively small, so it is seldom any 

 serious harm results from a bite. The food of these snakes 

 consists of mice, small garden toads, lizards and insects. The 

 average length of the Herald Snake is about two feet. It is 

 olive-brown in colour, sometimes uniform, but usually the upper 

 parts are flecked with tiny white dots, in appearance like flies' 

 eggs. These are very apparent when the skin is distended. The 

 under-parts are wliitish. Two broad bands of shiny purplish- 

 black run from the snout to the base of the head, where they 

 join. The upper Up is a bright coral red or orange red. No 

 other South African snake has these red streaks along the upper 

 lips, and they consequently serve as a sure means of identi- 

 fication. 



It is one of the back-fanged snakes, with the venom glands in 

 the transition stage. I have experimented on fowls and rabbits, 

 both by forcing it to bite them, and also by pounding the glands 

 in water and injecting them under the skin. The animals, in 

 all cases, showed signs of poisoning to a greater or lesser degree, 

 according to the size of the snake and the season. The bitten 

 animals invariably recovered after appearing more or less lethargic 

 for a day or two. 



