THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 
RUBBER BOA (Charina bott@) : CALIFORNIA 
A diminutive, burrowing representative of the family of great constrictors. 
farther from the equator than any other species of the Boide. 
Ditmars. 
A snake of this size will weigh, if in 
well- nourished condition, about 225 
pounds. In the wilds these big serpents 
feed largely upon wild swine. In cap- 
tivity they prefer pigs to any other diet. 
They normally feed at about 10-day in- 
tervals. 
Species of the genus Boa inhabiting 
tropical America attain a maximum 
length of 12 to 14 feet: They are richly 
colored and, together with smaller ex- 
amples of the Indian constrictor, Python 
molurus, are in much demand among the 
circuses for “‘snake-charming” exhibi- 
tions. “The method of procedure with 
the circus enchantress is considerably 
different from the tactics of the Hindu 
snake “charmer”; but in neither exhibi- 
tion is hypnotism employed, nor are the 
It ranges 
Photo by Raymond L. 
snakes drugged, as is often alleged. The 
circus snake-charmer employs a batch of 
tame constrictors that have not the least 
objection to being handled, while the 
Hindu, to the contrary, keeps his snakes 
wild and excitable, as will be later ex- 
plained when we consider the poisonous 
snakes. 
SOME SNAKES ARE USEFUL 
Throughout the temperate and tropical 
regions of the globe are species of ser- 
pents of high economic value. These 
are mostly the members of the largest 
family of snakes, the Colubride. ‘The 
greater number of the non-venomous 
serpents belong to this family. Our 
familiar black snake and king snake are 
members of this family. In some parts 
