340 



OKDEKS OF REPTILES— SERPENTS 



species have been evolved, which are of no in- 

 terest whatever to the general student. 



The Red-Bellied Water-Snake ' is a highly 

 colored variety of the common Water -Snake that 

 merits special attention. It is the most showy 

 and handsome representative of an interesting 

 group of water-snakes, comprising about ten 

 species, all of which are harmless, but very much 

 in evidence in small streams and other bodies of 

 water. They bring forth their young alive. 

 They love to lie upon low bushes that overhang 

 water, and bask in the sun. They are very sus- 

 picious, however, and when disturbed drop head 

 first into the water, like a stream of oil running 



Ditmars took three sunfish, one catfish, about a 

 dozen tiny suckers and a crawfish. This inter- 

 esting fish collection had filled the serpent so 

 full it could hold no more. The species referred 

 to is prominently marked by its shiny red belly, 

 and rusty-brown upper surface. It is from 3£ 

 to 4 feet long, and like all Water-Snakes, emits 

 a disagreeable odor when handled. It inhabits 

 the southern states generally, and extends north- 

 ward into Illinois and Michigan. 



The Common Water-Snake 2 inhabits all 

 of the Gulf states and the Mississippi valley up 

 to Iowa. In the New England states as far up as 

 Connecticut, and also in the southeastern states 



New York Zoological Park. 



RED-BELLIED WATER-SNAKE. 



down. The way to catch them is with a wire 

 noose on the end of a light pole about ten feet 

 long. 



The species named above is widely known 

 amongst the negroes of the Carolinas and other 

 portions of the South as the Copper-Bellied 

 "Moccasin," and it is feared accordingly. To 

 the negroes of South Carolina, all water-snakes 

 are "Moccasins." The Red-Bellied is held to 

 be very deadly, and its bite is said to be "fatal" 

 unless counteracted with large doses of good 

 whiskey! (R. L. Ditmars.) 



Water-snakes feed chiefly upon small fishes and 

 frogs. From the stomach of one Red-Bellied 

 Water-Snake collected in South Carolina, Mr. 

 1 Na'trix fas-ci-a'ta er-yth'ro-gas-ter. 



and the Mississippi valley is found a subspecies 

 called Natrix fasciata sipedon. 



The Hog-Nosed Snake 3 is a serpent of many 

 names and remarkable habits. It is often called 

 the Blowing "Viper," Spreading "Adder," 

 and other combinations of "Viper" and "Ad- 

 der," all erroneous. This is the snake that is such 

 a bold bluffer, and often saves its life by pretend- 

 ing to be very fierce and dangerous. Instead of 

 fleeing from an intruder, this creature comes 

 straight forward, with savage determination, 

 hissing and darting out its tongue, and pretending 

 to be a serious proposition. It looks as ugly and 

 deadly as any real viper. It inflates the skin of 



2 Na'trix fas-ci-a'ta. 



3 He-ter'o-don plat-y-rhi'nus. 



