Asheville daily citizen., 1894-11-26
WORSE THAN A RATHER
An African Snake That Shoots
It's Deadly Poison.
other venomous Reptiles Which Are
Greatly Dreaded by the Natives
Snake Killing a Lucrative Oc-
cupatiOn.

The rattlesnake of America is looked
upon as one of the most venomous of
reptiles, but on account of its rattle
its intended victim can often escape,
Not SO, however, with some Of the
deadly poisonous snakes Of southern
Africa, says the st. Louis Post-Dis.
patch. In the thick bush and under.
growth of the lower countries on the
east coast, probably the most treach'
erous Of African reptiles has its haunts,
The ''renggaizslang," or "poison-spit'
ter" is an ugly looking black snake,
with light green rings around its body,
and is about five feet long when full
grown. Its method Of catching prey is
to coil itself up under low bush, and
when hare or bush rabbit, or small
buck, called n "dyjken," comes along,
it will fastcn its eyes upon its victim,
and without moving from its coils will
suddenly spit forth it's poison, which,
striking the animal in the eyes, com
pletely blinds it and enables the snake
to dash forward and fasten its fangs in
its neck, While its prey is still warm
the poison-spitter will pull the skin
and hair off in huge pieces, and then,
crunching the body in its folds, will
swallow it whole. This snake will
often lie in an old road or path, and
has been known to completely blind
almost at the same instant pair of
mules that were being driven along
the road attached to wagon. They
can eject this poison and hit their OBJ
ject at distance of thirty feet.
Another terror to the natives and
travellers is the "boomslang," or tree
snake" 1t Is about nine feet in length
and from three and half to four inch.
es thick in its middle. When in search
of prey it coils It's tail end around the
bough of a short, thick bush or tree,
and when q small "bleshok" or other
small antelope passes under the tree it
will drop on 1t, coiling itself around
and around its body and, getting pow.
erful leverage with its tail end around
the tree, will crush the animal into a
jelly. After the buck is dead the snake
will roll it over and over on the
ground. This has the effect OF taking
the hair off, and after covering the an,
imal all over with a thick slime the
snake devours it in mouthfuls. Unlike
most reptiles of its kind it does not
swallow its food in one piece, but will
eat 1t allup in separate pieces. Then It
goes to sleep for three or four months
The Katlirs dread this reptile more
than all others, as it looks so much
like the bough Of the tree upon which
1t hangs. Many poor native has fallen
q victim 70 1t while travelling through
the bush
The wcllknown "puff-adder," also
found in India, abounds In southern
Africa. 1t likes to be near water, and
is found chiefly near dceppools of mud
dy water, where it lies In wait fol
frogs and water rats, upon which i,
mostly feeds. Its average length is
four feet, and it has a yellow body with
black rings, 1t is the most venomous
OF ull African snakes, but not the mos,
dangerous. With its smaller fry i,
darts out with lightning rapidity and
eats Immediately whatever it catches
but with larger animals that come Ii
its way, or to attack person, the rep
tile will stand on its tail and throw it
self backward, burying its fangs a
soon as 1t strikes. When disturbed II
will give chase. In such event it i.
I very difficult to get away from it, a.
the snake throws itself backward on it.
tail. The natives of Natal and Pondo
land catch the puff-adders and, after
cutting out their fangs, release then
around the kraals to kill the felt
mice and other small troublesome an
imals.
Killing snakes in Africa has come t,
be quite lucrative occupation, as thu
colonial and Bocr governments offer bil
rewards for all snake skins brought in
One well-known llimpopo river ex
plorer, John Burke, killed over sever
thousand snakes in one year for which
he received sum of money equal t.
fifteen thousand dollars.