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VENOMOUS ANIMALS 



(2) ElachistodontincB — Opisthoglyphida with rudimentary teeth on 

 the palatine and pterygoid hones. — Their venom is said to be so 

 weak and their poison-fangs so unfavourably situated that they 

 are not to be considered as dangerous to man. They include the 

 Indian egg-eating snakes. 



(3) HomalopsincB — Opisthoglyphida with nostrils valvular and 

 situated on the upper part oj the snout. — They are all water-snakes. 



3. Proteroglypha — Poisonous Colubridae with the front teeth in 

 the upper jaw well developed to form fan s, and grooved anteriorly. 

 The bases of these fangs are connected with ducts which lead from 

 well-developed poison glands. — These snakes are well known to 

 be highly dangerous to man and animals. They are divided into 

 three subfamilies — Elapinae and Hydrophinae. 



Fig. 33. — Skull of Naja tripudians Merrem. 

 Note the pair of short rigidly attached fangs situate in the front of the upper 

 jaw; hence the name Proteroglypha. These fangs are grooved. Note the 

 shortening of the maxilla. 



ElapincB — Proteroglypha living on land, and possessing a cylindrical 

 tail. — Among these are classed the cobras, whose proper name is 

 cobra-di-capello — i.e., the snake with the hood, so called because, 

 when excited, it expands the skin behind the head by throwing 

 outwards the cervical ribs. 



Buddhists regard these snakes with reverence, because one with 

 seven heads is said to have placed its expanded hoods over Buddha's 

 head, and thus to have protected him from the glare of the mid- 

 day sun. 



The genera of the Elapinae (Boulenger) are: — Naja Laurent; Bungarus 

 Daudin; Hemibungarus Peters; CallopMs Giinther; Doliophis Girard; 

 Boulengerina DoUo; Elapechis Boulenger; Aspidelaps Fitzinger; Walterin- 

 nesia La taste; Dendraspis Schlegel; Ogmodon Peters; Glyphodon Gunther; 

 Pseudelaps Dumeril and Bibron; Diemenia Gray; Pseudechis Wagler; 

 Denisonia Krefft; Tropidechis Giinther; Notechis Boulenger; Rhinoploce- 

 phalus F. Miiller; Brachyaspis Boulenger; Acanthophis Daudin; Elapognathus 

 Boulenger; Rhynchelaps Jan; Furma Dumeril and Bibron; Elaps Schneider; 

 Sepedon Merrem; Micropechis Boulenger; Hoplocephalus Cuvier. 



Naja tripudians Merrem, the cobra with one spot, or a pair of 

 spectacles on its hood, is common in India and Ceylon. A^. bungarus 



