67 
Snakes. — Of all reptiles, and indeed animals generally, the 
snake is the least understood by the average person, and is conse- 
quently the most distrusted. Many people still regard all these 
creatures as vindictive and poisonous, and perversely refuse to be 
persuaded otherwise. The ancients were quite at a loss to account 
for the method of a snake's progression, for it seemed to them to 
travel bymeansofsomeinvisible power, for they sawno limbs. Because 
it was too much for them,^ therefore, witchcraft was considered to 
be at the bottom of it. This coupled with the fact that some snakes 
were known to inflict poisonous wounds gave rise to the silly 
prejudice which still finds many disciples to this day. A number of 
snakes are deadly poisonous, but the vast majority are known to be 
quite harmless. It is a common, though erroneous, belief that every 
snake is anxious at all times to attack human beings. 'I'he most 
dangerous of these would be far more anxious to escape than to bite. 
If, however, retreat is cut off, the Gornered reptile would fiercely 
strike in its own defence. 
The scaly covering of most snakes is so beautifully glossy that 
many people are given the impression that they are wet and slimy. 
All ophidians cast their skins several times during the year, and the 
process is a very curious one. The colours of the body gradually 
begin to darken, and the creature is then comparatively lethargic. 
After about a week of this the skin over the eyes becomes quite 
opaque and bluish, and the ventral scales assume the same shade. 
Several days are passed in „his state, the snake being all the time 
quite out of condition and restless, refusing to take food. At the 
end of this period the eyes once more glisten with their natural 
colours, and the whole of the animal appears to have ridded itself 
of the old cuticle. However this is not so. The reptile now begins 
to rub its lips on all the rough objects in its path until at last the 
skin of the jaws is rasped back. When once started, the loose 
covering is further drawn off by the snake creeping under rough 
sticks and bark. These catch in the old covering and hold it while 
the animal draws itself out. In this way a healthy snake will make 
a perfect cast, although the slough will be turned inside out. 
A serpent’s method of taking food is also very interesting. If a 
live mouse be placed in a case containing a hungry leopard snake, 
the former will be immediately seized by the head in such a way 
that the victim cannot bite its assailant. The coils of the ophidian 
quickly twist round the unfortunate mouse and in 2. few^ seconds 
crush all signs of life from it. When satisfied that it is quite dead, 
the reptile proceeds to work its mouth over the head of the carcase 
by a curious alternate action of the sides of the jaws. Now, instead 
of being jointed together by a bony process, as in other animals, the 
jaws of a snake are united by an elastic ligament. This allows the 
creature to swallow prey many times larger than its own head. As 
the jaws work over the mouse, the ligament stretches sufficiently to 
let the victim (still quite whole) pass down into the stomach of the 
reptile. A swelling afterwards usually indicates the exact position 
in the snake of the swallowed animal. 
Nota.—Tht figures at the end of each description indicate 
the average lengths usually attained by the respective 
animals. 
The Sharp-nosed Crocodile comes from Jamaica and the West 
Indies generally. It is one of the few crocodiles inhabiting the 
New World. This species is characterised by the narrow and 
elongated snout, which has a distinct median ridge running through- 
out its length (10 to 15 feet). 
