272 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



In Europe and Asia are serpents closely allied to 

 OpliiholuSj having a cylindrical body, smooth scales and 

 a head but little distinct from the neck. They are con- 

 strictors, evincing cannibalistic habits, but also feeding 

 upon lizards, small rodents and birds. The Smooth 

 Snake, Coronella IceviSj may at times resemble the Eu- 

 ropean viper by the two rows of black spots on its brown 

 body fusing into a zigzag band. From the poisonous 

 snake it may be told by the smooth scales. The habitat 

 is southern England, through the most part of tem- 

 perate Europe to Asia. Two feet is the length of an 

 adult; occasional examples exceed this by a few inches. 

 Kept for observation, the Smooth Snake is sullen, not 

 feeding well. If handled, it exhibits deliberate treach- 

 ery, quietly running its snout over the skin until finding 

 a particularly soft spot, when it takes a sudden hold, 

 chewing alternately with each side of the head until the 

 tiny teeth draw spots of blood. The bite, of course, is 

 entirely innocuous. Very young mice — just out of the 

 nest — are eaten by captive snakes ; but a diet of this kind 

 is not easily obtained. Contrary to the habits of most 

 Coronelline snakes, this is a viviparous species; the num- 

 ber of young is small. 



Diadophis, a North American genus, embracing three 

 species, is much like Coronella. Its species are generally 

 called the Ring-Necked Snakes, each uniform gray, 

 except at the neck, where a brilliant yellow collar forms 

 the only marking. The abdomen is orange yellow, 

 sometimes with a row of black spots. Scale rows and 

 the number of plates on the abdomen are employed as 

 distinguishing characters to separate the species. D. 

 punctatus is familiar in eastern North America, rang- 

 ing well into Canada; D. regalis occurs from Illinois to 

 Arizona and southward to Vera Cruz; D. amahilis, a 



