The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-27
SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA.
The Deadly Poison Splitter" Skins
It's Victims

From the New York World
The rattlesnake of America is looked
upon as one of the most venomous of rep
tiles, but on account of its rattle its in
tended victim can often escape. Not so,
however, with some of the deadly poison
Gus snakes of Southern Africa. In the
thlck bush and underground of the low
countries on the east coast, probably the
most treacnerOus Of African reptiles has
its haunts.
The 'reng-gazslang," 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. It's
method of catching its prey is to coil
itself up under a low bush, and when a
hare or bush rabbit or a small buck,
called a dylKen, comes along, it will
fasten his eyes upon his victims, and,
without moving from its coils, will sud-
denly spit forth its poison, which, striking
the animal in the eyes, completely blinds
It, and enables the snake 10 dash forward
and tasteE its fangs in its neck.
While its prey is still warm the poison
splitter will pull the skin and hair of in
huge pieces, and then, Crunching the body
IN It's folds. will swallow it whole. This
snake Will often lie in an old road or path,
ana mas been known TO completely blind
almost at the same instant, a pair'of mules
that were being driven along the road at
taehed TO wagon. They can c ect this
poison and hit their object distance Of
thirty feet.
Another terror to the natives and trav-
elers is the "boOmslang'' or tree snake. -
II is about feet in length and from 3is
10 inches thick in its middle. When in
search of prey, it coils its tail end around
the Dough of a short, thick oush or tree,
and when small "bleshOk' or other
small antelope passes under the tree 1t
viii drop it, coilinC itself around and
around with its Lody, and, getting pow
erful leverage with its tail-end around
the tree, will crush the animal into n
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 on,
and, after covering the animal all over
with thick slime, the snake devOurs it
in 1nouthfuls. Unlike most reptiles of its
kind, it does not swallow its food in one
piece, but will eat it all up in separate
pieces Then it goes TO sleep for three or
four months.
The hanrs dread this reptile more than
all others, as it looks so much like the
bough of the tree upon which it hangs
Many poor native has fallen victim TO
IL while travelling through the bush.
The well-kuown pun adder, also found
in India, abounds in southern Africa. 1t
likes - be near deep water. and is found
chiefly near deep pools of muddy water,
where it lies in wait for frogs ana water
rats, upon which il mostly feeds. Its
average length is four feet and 1t has a
yellow body with black rings. 1t is the
most veromous Of all African snakes, but
not the most dangerous. With its smaller
pray it darts right out with lightning ra-
pidity, and eats Immediately whatever 1t
catches, but with larger animals that
come in its way, or to attack person, the
reptile will stand on It's tail and throw it
self backward, burying its fangs as soon
as it strikes. When disturbed it will give
chase. In such an event it is very diff
cult to get away from, as the snake
throws itself backward on its tail.
The natives of Natal and Pondoland
catch these puff-adders and after cutting
out their fangs release them around the
kraals to kill the field mice and other
small troublesome animals.
Killing snakes in Africa has come to be
quite a lucrative occupation, as the colo
NAL and Boer governments offer big re-
wards for all snake skins brought in. The
well-known Himpopo river explorer, John
Balkie, killed over 1000 snakes in one
year, for which he received sum of
money equal to $4,000.