ENG-1949 — Page 191

The more frequently seen harmless snakes include the Common Rat Snake or Dhaman and its near relative the Indo- Chinese Rat Snake. The former is usually brownish above with irregular black cross-bars on the hind part of the body, and is pale underneath where some or all of the scales are edged with black; there are distinct black vertical bars on the lips. It grows to six or seven feet in length, is extremely swift and bites fiercely when cornered. The Indo-Chinese Rat Snake is also brownish above, but lacks the dark cross- bars and black vertical bars on the lips. It does not grow quite as large and is not so inclined to bite as its larger relative. Probably the commonest of all snakes is the Chequered Water Snake, a species which lives in and near fresh-water streams, ponds and ditches. It is olivaceous above, marked with darker spots and two dark streaks radiating backwards and downwards from the eye. The belly is whitish or yellowish, the scales edged with black. Although quite harmless, this snake always attempts to bite when handled. Its food consists mostly of Amphibia and fish. The largest shake in the Colony is the Indian Python. These giants of the serpent world are not poisonous, but kill their prey by constriction, being close relatives of the Boa Constrictors of the New World. An exceptionally large python, measuring over fourteen feet in length, was shot on Hong Kong Island in September, 1949.

The sea-snakes are all poisonous, but they are inoffensive and do not attack bathers. Although breathers of atmospheric air, their tails are vertically flattened (paddle-like) and they are equipped for a thoroughly aquatic existence.

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Lizards are frequently seen in the Colony and are represented by four families the geckoes, the skinks, the Agamids and the typical lizards. The most familiar is the common house-lizard, known as Bowring's Gecko. This active little creature may be seen throughout the warm weather both inside and outside buildings. It is mostly nocturnal, feeding on insects and other small creatures. The majority of lizards in the Colony belong to a family, the members of which are known as skinks. They vary in size from a few inches to over a foot and are to be found on both cultivated and uncultivated land all over the Colony. They are stream-lined in appearance, exceedingly active, and fond of basking in the sun.

Amphibia

At least eighteen species of Amphibia belonging to ten genera have been recorded for the Colony and are represented by various frogs and toads, and one newt. Like the reptiles, most of the Amphibia hibernate during the short winter. They emerge in spring and on rainy

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