ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



sists of small lizards and they are provided with 

 a poison that quicklj' paralyzes the pre}'. A 

 photograph of these strange creatures is here- 

 with shown. 



Most interesting among the series of South 

 American non-poisonous snakes is the snake- 

 killer, also called the Mussarama. This is a 

 large, bluish-black serpent with smooth, lustrous 

 scales. Our specimen is about five feet long, 

 but the species grows larger. This snake at- 

 tacks, kills and eats the deadly tropical vipers 

 of the fer-de-lance type, and is immune to their 

 poisons. Its method. of attack is to tightly coil 

 about the poisonous reptile, then squeeze it to 

 death. Strangely enough the Mussarama is not 

 immune to the bites of the brilliantly-colored 

 and dangerous coral snakes that 

 exist to the number of over a dozen 

 species in South America. These 

 coral snakes (Elaps) belong to quite 

 a different family from that of the 

 vipers. They are actually of near 

 relationship to the Old World cobras 

 and their venoms produce a paralyz- 

 ing effect. 



A fine series of South American 

 snakes, lizards, turtles, amphibians 

 and insects have been received from 

 Mr. R. R. Mole, of Port of Spain, 

 Trinidad. Mr. Beebe brought back 

 several interesting turtles. Among 

 these were two specimens of the 

 giant river turtle of the Amazon 

 region. These are scientifically 

 known as Podocnemis e.rpansa. The 

 shell is nearly a yard in length and 

 the weight slightly over fifty pounds. 



1)I.A( K JKcr KKOM SOlllI AMKKKA 

 L- of tlle oldest resiclt-nts of the Reptik- House. 



With the Podocnemis came two specimens of 

 the hideous Matamata, with a shell like that of 

 a large snapjiing turtle, but distinguished by 

 its remarkable head. The latter is about five 

 inches broad, perfectly flat and abruptly ter- 

 minating in a tubular snout about an inch in 

 leng-th. The eyes are not larger than the head 

 of a pin, and to add to the altogether remark- 

 able aspect is a row or fringe of fleshy protuber- 

 ances on each side ot head. Colored like the 

 muddy river bottom, the Matamata lies in wait 

 for small fish. Its only quick movement is a 

 lightning-like dart of the head and capacious 

 jaws armed with cutting edges as sharp as a 

 knife. 



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