590 



THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



and occurs with local modifications as far east 

 and south as Natal. In the latter country 

 it is most familiarly known as the Natal 

 Rock-snake. 



Some rather singular incidents have been 

 recorded illustrating the tenacity with which 

 pythons retain hold of the quarry once seized, 

 or, more correctly, their inability to release 

 it. At the Adelaide Zoological Gardens a 

 specimen, when absorbing a rabbit, managed 

 to entangle its teeth in a corner of its 

 blanket. That blanket had to follow the 

 rodent through the i2-foot-long python. On 

 another occasion two pythons, a Oueenslander 

 and Afrikander, happened at the same instant 

 to commandeer respectively the head and 

 hindquarters of an identical rabbit. Inch by 

 inch the portion between the two grew smaller 

 until the two noses met. There was no 

 retreating from this impasse, and the mo- 

 mentous question, " Shall I slay my brother 

 boa? " had to be settled affirmatively by one 

 or other of the interested parties without 

 further parley. The somewhat smaller and 

 weaker individual was graduall}' telescoped, 

 and in due time assimilated. The absorber 

 was decidedly poorly and " off colour " for a 

 considerable period after accomplishing this 

 cannibalistic feat ; it ultimately recovered both 

 its appetite and its prismatic tints. 



The True Boas, as distinguished from 

 the Pythons, are more essentially arboreal in 

 their habits, and, with the exception of one or 

 two species found in Madagascar, belong to 

 the tropical American zoological region. The 

 Common Boa, or Boa-coxstrictor, which 

 attains to a length of 12 or 14 feet or more, 

 is limited in its distribution to South America. 

 The colours of this snake, which consist 

 mainh' of a light brown, with a number of 

 dark brown cross-bars on the back, and light 

 centred, dark brown spots on the sides, 

 so nearl)' agree with the tint of the 

 tree-branches with their interlacing shadows, among which it usually lies concealed, that, 

 notwithstanding its large size, it readily evades detection, and is unconsciously approached by 

 the animals on which it preys. These, in adult individuals, may be represented by such 

 large-sized quarry as dogs, and even deer ; while smaller examples prey largely on birds and 

 their eggs, and the numerous rodents with which the tropical American forests teem. From 

 observations made upon this species in captivity, it would appear that the eggs are usually 

 hatched within the parent's body, though an instance has been recorded in which both eggs 

 and young were produced simultaneously. 



A close ally of the typical boas, which shares with them a tropical South American 



A GROUP OF GARTER- 



A common spccia ivluch collects together ii 



yi i.iladeiphic 



SNAKES 



^rcat numbers 



