SNAKES. 
214 
Tree-Snakes 
wood-snake ( Herpetodryas carinatus), which we select as a well-known example of 
the genus. Frequently attaining a length of about 7 feet, and remarkably beautiful 
in coloration, this snake generally has the upper-parts of a bright verditer or olive- 
green, shot with a tinge of brown on the back, while the under-parts are greenish 
or bright yellow; the greenish hue prevailing in the middle of the body, and the 
yellow elsewhere. Throughout there is a shimmering play of colours of all shades 
of green passing into metallic brown; while the middle line of the back has a 
brighter longitudinal streak, frequently bordered on each side by a darker band, 
In the West Indies this species undergoes a remarkable change of hue, becoming 
blackish brown or black above, with the under-parts steel-grey ; the upper lip and 
edges of the jaws alone preserving the original yellowish green. The scales are 
arranged in twelve rows, and are mostly smooth, although the two middle rows on 
the back are keeled; the eye being of very large size. Next to the coral-snake, 
the sipo is the most abundant of Brazilian ophidians, and may be met with both 
on sandy jungle-clad ground close to the shore at Bio de Janeiro and Cape Frio, 
where specimens of upwards of 10 feet in length have been observed. In addition 
to sandy localities it also frequents swampy spots near the sea. In its movements 
it is so rapid that, when startled, it seems to disappear like a flash of lightning. 
It feeds largely upon frogs, as well as upon lizards and young birds, and lays 
only five eggs, which are remarkable for their cylindrical and slender form. 
In the Old World and Australia the wood-snakes are replaced by 
the solid-toothed tree-snakes, forming the genera Dendrophis and 
Dendrelapliis ; both of which are distinguished from all the preceding types by 
having the hinder border of each of the shields on the lower surface of the body 
with a notch 011 each side, corresponding to a suture-like lateral keel; the scales of 
the body being arranged in from thirteen to fifteen rows. While in the first-named 
of the two genera all the teeth in the hinder upper jawbone are approximately 
equal in length, and the row of scales in the middle line of the back larger than the 
others, in the second genus the foremost teeth in the hinder upper jawbone are 
enlarged, but the middle row of scales on the back are similar to the rest. All 
these snakes have large eyes, and elongated and often compressed bodies, and 
their general coloration is some shade of green or olive, often with a bronzy tinge; 
their habits being mostly arboreal. Of Dendrophis nine species are known, 
ranging from India to Australia; while Dendrelapliis is represented by five species 
ranging from India and the Malayan region to the Philippines. 
Egg-Eating The last representative of the solid-toothed series of the Colubrines 
snake. that we have space to mention is the curious little egg-eating snake 
(Dasypeltis scabra), of South Africa, which represents a subfamily ( Dasypeltince ) 
by itself. The essential character of the subfamily is the rudimental condition of 
the dentition, the front of both the lower jaw and upper jaws being devoid of teeth. 
To compensate for this lack of ordinary teeth, the egg-eating snake is, however, 
provided with a series of about thirty of what may be termed throat-teeth ; these 
being the lower spines of the vertebrae, which project into the oesophagus, and are 
tipped with enamel. The scales are strongly keeled. This little snake is about a 
couple of feet in length, and has a bod}? - not much thicker than a man’s finger. 
Although it lives in trees, and feeds on the eggs of small birds, it will when pressed 
