FROGS, TOADS, SALAMANDERS, SNAKES, ETC. 149 



is now, the average boy feels that he is doing a sort of duty 

 in killing a snake on sight, and he delights in killing frogs and 

 toads just for sport. 



There is really no excuse for this killing, when we remem- 

 ber that it is generally the useful or harmless amphibians and 

 reptiles that are 

 killed. There are 

 no venomous 

 snakes in the 

 northern half of 

 the United States 

 except the rattle- 

 snakes, and these 

 are pretty well 

 exterminated in 

 the more settled 

 regions. There 

 are no other poi- 

 sonous reptiles in 

 this region, and 

 the amphibians 

 are all harmless. 

 In the South there are the poisonous copperheads, moccasins, 

 and the little coral snake. In the Southwest there is one 

 poisonous lizard, the Gila monster. 



Most people call salamanders lizards, and do not know 

 what amphibians are. Amphibians, such as the frog, toad, 

 and salamander, have a soft skin without scales. This is 

 generally kept moist for a time by an excreted liquid. The 

 boys will know that their frogs for fishing will die if they 

 are not kept moist. This is necessary for the reason that 



Fig. 30. A Dish of Frog's Eggs. 



