THE SNAKES 283 



With Tomodorij a South American genus of two spe- 

 cies, tliere are two very long fangs on each side of the 

 upper jaw — directly beneath the eye. 1\ dorsatus 

 reaches a length of two feet. The head is distinct from 

 the neck with a short, very convex snout. The body is 

 cyhndrical with smooth scales. With this species the 

 eye is of moderate size, having a round pupil. Colora- 

 tion: Olive or brownish, with a yellow stripe on the 

 back — sometimes only distinct on the neck; a dark band 

 from the eye to the angle of the mouth; yellowish or 

 greenish beneath, sprinkled with dark spots. Snakes 

 with such fang development must be rated as dangerous 

 to man. 



Tantilla, with its twenty-three small species, is in 

 opposition to the preceding genus. The maxillary teeth 

 are small and followed by a pair of feebly-enlarged 

 fangs ; as the snakes themselves are diminutive, the fangs 

 are almost microscopic. We may term them harmless 

 to man. Several species occur in southern portions of 

 the United States. They are smooth-scaled, opalescent 

 and lead a burrowing life. T. coronatum, ten inches 

 long when fully grown, inhabits the Gulf States. The 

 head is black with a yellow collar, the latter black-bor- 

 dered. T. gracilis is pale brown, the top of the head 

 black, but lacking the pale collar ; the abdomen is salmon 

 red. This snake is found from Missouri to Texas. 



Dryophis, with eight species in southeastern Asia and 

 Malaysia, is made up mostly of beautiful leaf-green 

 Tree Snakes that are excessively slender. The Long- 

 Nosed Tree Snake, D. mycterizans, grows four to five 

 feet long. It inliabits the Malay Peninsula and Archi- 

 pelago. Its color may be described as uniform, rich 

 leaf -green; when feeding and the body is distended, a 

 beautiful effect is produced. The scales are separated. 



