Evening star., 1931-06-17
BY THOMAS r. HENRY
are "swell dressers. =

Snakes are swell dressers."
Not even the birds wear more gaudily
colored clothes than some of the reptiles
Just obtained for the Zoo.
A scarlet" snake Is the latest addi-
ton to the reptile collection.
1t Is a slender snake, about II inches
long, with bands of brilliant scarlet
alternating with black and yellow. This
is one Of the first times that this curious
reptile, ordinarily reported from Florida,
has been seen in captivity. 1t is a
nocturnal animal, living under rocks
and fallen logs during the day, so that
only rarely IS it seen.
The gruesome beauty Of this reptile,
according to DR.. William M. Mann.
Zoo director, is one Of the mysteries OF
nature It's coloring is very close to
that Of the coral snake: relative OF OF
the cobra and the most poisonous OF
all North American snakes. But the
scarlet snake itself is harmless, a close
relative to the little green snake.
Protective COIOratiOn.
Now. DR.. Mann says, some naturalists
have concluded that this Is matter OF
protective coloration. The snake, help
less to defend itself, has adopted the
coat Of its deadly fellow reptile to
scare OF its enemies. This Is ire
uuent occurrence in nature. Some weak
animal happens to be born with a close
approach TO the appearance OF a
dreaded animal which 1t can pass on
to its descendants. The animals so
protected have a better chance Of sur
vival than their unprotected fellows and
so the variation from the ancestral type
persists.
But in this case, Dr. Mann says, the
venomous coral snake does not seem
to be dreaded by its natural enemies.
It can kill with its bite. But it never
bites. Hardly any amount OF teasing
will induce It to stick its fangs into It's
enemy. Although the coral snake Is
fairly abundant, no effort has ever
been made to find an antitoxin for Its
venom, because there would be no call
for it. This snake relies on hiding for
its protection, Just as does its imltator.
So nobody understands why the scarlet
snake initiates the coral snake, unless
it is just for love OF a many coloreo
coat.
The scarlet snake was presented to
the Zoo by DR.. Foster Benjamin OF the
Department of Agriculture, who has
been on fruit fly elimination work in
Florida.
Get Rare Reptiles.
What Is believed to be the rarest
snake in North America was received
bv DR.. Mann this week from Southern
Mexico. It Is the American python, the
only representative Of this snake family
in the New world. It is the same sort
of snake as tlse monster of the Old
World, who sometimes reach a length
of more than 20 feet and, although
not poisonous, are among the most
feared of all reptiles.
ant this snake is onlv 3 feet long
and Is almost never seen. 1t is bur-
rover, with q sharp scale on the end OF
its nose by which it can make its
way through leaves and loose earth. It
generally lives In the holes of rodents.
It has been seen so seldom, DR.. Mann
said, that nothing Is known about its
habits. The place of the great pythons
Of Africa Is taken in the New World
by the monster boa constructors OF
South America. A curiosity of natural
history, DR.. Mann says, is that in Africa
there Is only one species of boa, a little
fellow who lives in burrows. How these
two little strangers wandered so far
from their geological families Is a mys-
terry to naturalists.
King Snake Prize
But the prize Of all recent accessions
to the Zoo, DR.. Mann says, Is the many
ringed king snake-perhaps the most
elaborately decorated animal in the
reptile world. Ordinarily the king
snakes are sober lot, satisfied with
plain black or brown coats. But this
animal, about feet long, has q coat
consisting Of many dozens of narrow
red, black and yellow rings in success
sion. This is probably the first time
one Of the species has been in captivity.