Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-12
Haitian Reptiles Grow to
Three Feet in Length,
With Horned Heads.
CURIOUS VINE SNAKES,
LIKE PENCILS, ARRIVE
Pair of Australian Stumptailed
Lizards, Whose Heads and Tails
Look Alike, Received.

Six rhinoceroS iguanaS-queer reptiles
that are about the nearest of living
creatures to the great horned dinosaurs
that disappeared from the earth mil
lions of years ago-have arrived at the
Zoo.
This iguana is large lizard with
three horns on its head. When fully
grown it is about feet long. 1t is
found only in isolated areas in Haiti
and is very rare. 1t looks like a NINA
ture dinosaur. Actually, according to
DR.. William M. Mann, director of the
Zoo, the relationship is not very close,
although these reptiles are of great
antiquity.
Haiti has been cut off from the main
land for long time and in its sheltered
environment remnants of very old
fauna have survived. Once the rhinoce-
they have been killed off by dogs
wherever the island has been settled.
Perrygo Obtained Lizards.
The lizards were secured for the Zoo
by Watson Perrygo of the United States
National Museum, who has just re-
turned from a collecting expedition in
the West Indies. He also brought back
a large number of Haitian snakes, in
Guiding varieties unknown elsewhere.
The most remarkable of these, DR.
Mann said, are the vine snakes, crea-
lures about 3 feet long and the circum-
ference of lead pencil, who duplicate
almost exactly the color of green foliage
They live in the trees and can hardly
be distinguished from the vines which
lace the Haitian jungles.
1t is generally believed, DR.. Mann
said, that there are no poisonous rep
tiles in Haiti, but the vine snakes APP
proach very close to this classification
They have fangS but, so far as is known
no poison glands. They are in the sus-
pected class. Mr.. Perrygo also brought
back several Haitian boas, the largest
snakes of the island, and some yellow
lined snakes.
The collection which arrived Monday
also included two turtles and several
Haitian doves and quail of varieties
rare in collections.
Zoo Gets OpoSSum.
The Zoo also received Monday a
murine opossum from South America
a marSupial the size of a rat. This
creature sometimes comes to the United
States in punches of bananas and al
ways arouseS a controversy as to what
it is.
The ZOO received this week a pair Of
Australian Stump-tailed lizards, which
like the rhinoceros iguanaS, seem to be
living relics of a distant past. ThiS
lizard has a fiat tail and fiat head
and it is difficult to distinguish between
head and tail. This is the first time il
has been exhibited in the United States
1t Is found only in isolated sections o.
Australia, and many native legends
have grown up around it.
Diana Monkey Is Added.
For the first time in years a Diana
monkey has been added to the collec-
ton. This is one of the rarest monkeys
in captivity. The last one in the Zoe
was killed by a visitor who fed il
laurel leaves. 1t is small monkey with
white beard which lives in great
troops in the treetopS of West Africa
Although by no means rare, DR.. Mann
said, it is difficult to capture alive and
the country where it is abundant is
seldom visited by animal collectors.
remarkable attribute of this little
bearded monkey is Its voice. 1t seems
to sing like a bird. This may be an
unconscious imitation of the birds
among whom the species has lived sc
AOAAB Al Vic jungle IlGeJOpS.
DR.. Mann also received as a gift from
the United Fruit Co. two Costa Rican
deer and a wild pig.
The bird collection has been increased
by two Venezuelan jays, large deep
green birds of the crow family, three
African tri-colored Starlings and two
toucanets. The tri-colored starlings
which are found only in East Africa
are colored with purple, yellow ano
black and are some of the most striking
creatures in the collection.