| OCR Text |
Show 506 MESSRS. MOLE AND URICH O N T H E [June 19, three-quarters of an hour. This particular Anaconda refuses food out of the water, but, upon a rat in a trap being held close to the edge of its tank, has darted into the open door aud seized the rat and constricted it inside the trap, trying to drag itself back into the water at the same time. After he has gorged, the part of his body containing the rat is naturally much swollen and frequently floats on the surface, the other portions of the snake except the head being submerged. Mr. J. S. Wilson informs us he has frequently seen Anacondas in the rivers of Demerara with a part of their bodies floating in this manner above the surface. Anacondas are fond of lying on logs close to or over the water; their swallowing capacities are enormous, and they are probably assisted in this by the fact that they invariably take their food in the water. The one w e have always knows when preparations are being made to give it food, and comes up to that side of the box (not always the same) it expects the rat will be driven in from. Anacondas kuow those who feed them, but they are uncertain in temper and allow very few liberties, biting when irritated with amazing quickness. The Trinidad Anaconda is, judging from the skins w e have seen, identical with the Venezuelan snakes w e have had tinder observation. W e also kept for some time two larger specimens, each about 7 or 8 feet in length; one of them was remarkably quiet, but the other would not permit itself to be handled at all, biting fiercely, and when seized by the neck constricting with great strength so as to almost stop circulation in hands and wrists. It also used to ball. GEOPHIS LINEATUS. This very handsome little ground-snake is found, as a rule, tightly coiled up under stones aud rubbish in yards and gardens. W h e n it has changed its skin it is very iridescent. It probably is never more than 12 inches in length, and specimens of this size are extremely rare. It increases in numbers rapidly in the yards and gardens in towns, where they are safe from their principal enemies the Coral Snakes. They lay comparatively large eggs. One specimen contained five eggs. LIOPHIS MELANOTUS. This little snake rarely exceeds 2 feet in length. Its back is of a blue-black colour. Two longitudinal stripes run from head to tail on either side. The underpart is a bright yellowish colour. They are very harmless creatures, never attempting to use their tiny teeth on anything but the little lizards and frogs on which they feed. They sometimes constrict their prey-especially lizards, when rather too large to be easily managed. One snake of this species which we had for some time constantly quarrelled with other small snakes in the same box, and always threw several tight coils round them. So savage was he towards his companions that he had ultimately to be kept alone. Liophis melanotus breeds freely in captivity, but w e have not been able to get any of the |
