B02 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[June 27, 1903. 
I dislike to kill or injure this variety of snake, as 5t is 
harmless, timid, and lives upon insects and mice, seldom 
coming out into the light of day. 
I believe this is the first careful description of the joint 
snake ever written, so I hope Forest and Stream will 
find space for at least this portion of my communication. 
D. R. MORPHEW. 
[In this connection see on this page Mr. Hay's notes on 
the glass snake.] 
Our Batrachians and Reptiles. — IV. 
Both the batrachians and reptiles, being cold-blooded 
animals, avoid the colder regions of the earth, but while 
the former begin their existence in the water, and, as a 
class, prefer the cool shadows and darkness, the latter 
come into being on land and love the light and wax-mth 
of sunshine. While it is true that the crocodiles and 
turtles return to the water and pass the greater portion 
of their lives in it, the other, and by far the largest, 
group of reptiles, to which belong the lizards and the 
snakes, with but few exceptions find the conditions neces- 
sary for their existence on dry land. In this great group 
the lizards are the lowest, in that they are most like the 
earliest reptiles, and with them we can best begin the con- 
sideration of the class. 
Taking such a species as the little Anolis, or so-called 
chameleon of the Southern States, we will find it to fit 
very well our ideas of what a lizard should be. Its body, 
which reaches a length of about six inches, is cylindrical 
and provided with a slender tail and two pairs of legs. 
The conical head is borne on a distinct neck. The skin 
is covered everywhere, except on the crown and sides of 
the head, with small overlapping scales, and the toes end 
in sharp claws. The eyes are furnished with eyelids^ the 
ears are discernible as small holes just at the back of the 
head, and the tip of the tongue is only slightly notched 
in front. In short, it may be taken, so far as its external 
characteristics go, as a typical lizard. 
The habits of this little creature are most interesting, 
and have been made the subject of some study. In the 
South, where they abound, they are to be seen throughout 
the day running with almost lightning-like swiftness 
among the vegetation in search of food. When 011 such 
Fig. 1.— Anolis, the so-called Chameleon of the Southern States 
' (after Lutkin). 
a guest they do not.^iesitate to enter human habitations, 
and in the houses of lighter construction a number may 
be seen at a time darling about over the walls, for, by a 
peculiar construction'', of their feet, they can adhere to a 
perpendicular surface; Anyone who would watch such an 
assemblage would at? once be amazed by the wonderful 
cpntrol exercised bj^^the Anolis over its personal appearr 
ance. The same individual would often be seen to change 
its color, varying from light pea-green through dark 
olive to a lustrous bronzy brown. These changes may be 
effecteid as the animal'' moves from place to place to more 
perfectly harmonize it with its surroundings, or they may 
reflect the feelings and desires of their owner. The food 
of this creature consists of insects, among which flies 
seem to be the favorite. Eggs are laid during the early 
summer in some crevice and from these, in a short time, 
the young emerge and enter at once into the activities of 
life. The parents ■ bestow no care upon them, and they 
must shift for themselves. 
It is the exception among the lower vertebrates to find 
a species which possesses even the rudiments of parental 
affection, but certain observers have testified that the 
comtnon brown or pine-tree lizard Sceloporus un- 
dulatus) is such an animal. It is distributed from New 
Jersey to Oregon and south to Texas, and is represented, 
therefore, over the greater portion of the United States. 
It differs considerably from the Anolis in form, although 
it .still retains the lizard shape. The head is rather broad 
and flat, and the nose is rounded. The body is covered 
with coarse scales, each of which has an elevated ridge 
down its center, and is prolonged into a point behind. The 
color is olive or brownish, sometimes almost black, and is 
variegated by undulating cross bands of darker color, so 
as to cause it to resemble very closely the bark of the 
trees or the stones on which it lives. The under surface 
is whitish, but on the throat of the adult there is usually 
a large patch of metallic blue or green. It is most com- 
ifion in situations where pine trees abound and for this 
reason has been given its common name. Its food con- 
sists of insects, in search of which it diligently explores 
the surface of the ground and clambers about among the 
branches .of the smaller trees. In the latter place it also 
seeks security when pursued. The capture of one of these 
creatures in good condition is no very easy matter, for. 
added to its swift movements, it has developed to a 
marked degree the habit which many other lizards 
possess of snapping off its tail when closely pursued. 
This appendage is broken off, not between two of the ver- 
tebrae, but directly across the middle of one of the bones, 
and, when severed, thrashes about among the leaves so 
as to distract the pursuer while its former owner makes 
an escape. The tailless lizard quickly recovers from its 
self-inflicted injury and proceeds to grow a new tail, a 
process which may be repeated several times. The eggs 
of the pine-tree lizard are said to be laid in the sand, 
probably in little groups. They are deposited about June 
1 and liatch in about ten days. They are long and nar- 
row and covered with a white, tough, leathery skin. The 
parent makes no attempt to incubate them, but when the 
young emerge they are treated with the utmost gentleness 
by the adults, and may often be seen in company with 
them. 
Among the uninformed people of country districts this 
lizard, and most others as well, is supposed to be 
venomous, but the idea is entirely erroneous. Even when 
captured it seldom makes an attempt at defense, and 
when it does, its bite cannot break even the most tender 
skin. It quickly becomes tame and makes a most inter- 
esting pet. 
While speaking of this subject it would not be amiss to 
mention our common blue-tailed lizard, or skink, which 
is well known to most lovers of the woods. In rural dis- 
tricts it is known as the "scorpion," a name which is 
inapplicable in every way, and which has doubtless done 
much to give to the animal its reputation of being very 
Fig. 3.— Horned Toad. 
venomous. It is perfectly harmless, and instead of being 
in any way injurious, is an efficient aid to man in remov- 
ing large numbers of disagreeable insects. 
On the hot plains and in the desert regions of the West 
and South are found numerous species of lizards which 
represent the extreme development of the pine-tree lizard 
^type. These are the horned toads, so called from their flat, 
toad-like bodies and the more or less perfect armature 
of large pointed scales and spines which are scattered 
over the back or arranged in rows on the sides and top 
of the head. Their odd appearance at once attracts at- 
tention, and, as they are not capable of running with 
speed, they are often captured and kept as pets. In con- 
finement, however, they often refuse to eat, and slowly 
starve to death, but if by gentle treatment they can once 
be induced to take food they devour large_ numbers of 
fl=es and other small insects, and may occasionally drink 
a little milk. When teased or suddenly frightened they 
flatten their bodies, arch their backs, and turn their horns 
forward like a horned mammal at bay and_ await the at- 
tack. This mode of defense is the one which they prob- 
ably adopt in nature when no safe retreat is at hand, and- 
one can imagine that it is very effective, not only from 
the ugly appearance which they present, but from the 
fact that the horns would offer a very serious obstacle 
in swallowing the animal. Professor Cope mentions find- 
ing a dead rattlesnake which had been killed by attempt- 
ing to swallow one of these lizards, whose sharp horns 
had penetrated the oesophagus and were sticking out on 
each side of the snake's neck. Another curious action on 
the part of some horned toads is that of squirting out a 
slender stream of blood when they are roughly handled. 
It is popularly supposed that this red fluid comes from 
the animal's mouth, but recent observations have shown 
that the jet springs from the corner of the eye. No ex- 
planation of this fact can be given, for the blood is not 
in any way disagreeable, and it is not known whether it is 
a means of defense or simply an involuntary bursting of 
a blood vessel due to fright or anger. Neither is it known 
how generally the habit prevails. It is said that in its 
natural haunts the horned toad brings forth its young 
alive, some three or four at a time. In captivity, how- 
ever, eggs are frequently laid, but, so far as the writer 
is aware, these do not hatch. 
Living in the territory inhabited by the horned toad 
are many other kinds of lizards, but these we must pass 
by without mention, excepting only the large, uncouth 
H eloderma, or Gila monster, a species noteworthy as be- 
ing the only lizard in the world which seems to deserve 
its reputation of being venomous. It occurs from 
southern Utah through New Mexico and Arizona to a 
point well within Mexico. Further to the south and west 
there is a second species, but of its habits we can say 
nothing. The Heloderma is a large, thick-bodied, short- 
legged animal, slow of motion, and of a most repulsive 
appearance. In length it may exceed eighteen inches,, 
but specimens are usually a foot or less in length. The 
head is nearly flat above and somewhat triangular in 
outline, the sides gradually sloping to the rounded nose. 
Its color is black with large cross bands or blotches of 
yellow, and the scales which cover the back and sides are 
coarse and rounded, so as to give the animal something 
of the appearance of a piece of bead work. 
Very little is known about the habits of this ungainly 
lizard, for its reputation is such that those who most 
often see it think of nothing but how to exterminate it. 
For years it has been regarded as a most deadly reptile, 
but there is now good reason to believe that the facts are 
not quite as bad as has been supposed. A great many 
living specimens have been sent to investigators in various 
parts of the world, who, after having made careful ex- 
periments with the Heloderma's saliva, report, some, to 
the effect that it contains a violent _ poison, and others 
that it is perfectly harmless. It is quite possible that this 
difference of opinion is due to the fact that, as the lizard 
has no specialized poison fangs, it sometimes fails to 
introduce its venom into the wound, which in such a case 
would be no more dangerous than a bad scratch. There 
is, however, an abundance of proof to the effect that, 
under some conditions, at least, this lizard can inflict a 
dangerous bite, and on this account it should be handled 
with great care or avoided altogether. 
Another type of lizard which occurs in many parts of 
the old and new worlds but is represented in our 
country only by five or six species are the Geckos, so 
called from the noise made by some of the species. In 
the United States one species is- found in Florida and 
the others in Texas, New Mexico and southern Cali- 
fornia. In general form and appearance they bear a 
rather close resemblance to ih^ Anolis, but there are no 
large plates on the top of the head and the eyelids are 
rudimentary or altogether absent; In most of the Geckos 
the pupil of the eye is a narrow vertical slit, a character 
which points strongly to nocturnal habits. Most species, 
also, have the ends of the toes provided with peculiar ad- 
hesive pads, by means of which they are able to run up 
such perpendicular surfaces as the trunks of trees, brick 
walls, or even the plastered wall of a room. Next to 
nothing is known of the life history of any American 
Gecko, although they are very attractive little lizards, 
well worthy of the naturalist's attention. 
Turning now from the typical lizards to forms which 
might easily be mistaken for serpents, and which are 
commonly known as such, we will consider first the 
Ophisanrus, or glass snake. This animal is found more 
or less abundantly in the southeastern United States from 
Virginia to Indiana, and south to Florida and Texas. 
In form it is decidedly like a snake ; the body is long and 
slender, sometimes reaching a length of three feet, and 
there is no trace of limbs. It may at once be recognized 
as a lizard, however, by the lower jaw, the eyelids and the 
Fig. 2.— The Pine Tree Lizard. 
Fig. 4.— The Heloderma. 
