Environment R1D.oN.ml .ryu s ,19g


The mongoose haven't eaten all our native snakes
Rectly, I was biking l l th They ussid "'Sues? Whl mhke it e h rvcsi1ned Ith cdaloesof .hbe Otheri so
Cledo niolo oriet with grop Whnr" Ther are abontl 2700 different hei taken o the nItrs nd widoe
of summer stadenl Ose child Soakbs w op t in mjo pool k idBofsodlksinhe com down to the around. One
akedme, -r.Dlaviso lbite- oflthVi uedaishan vieroeto e Lh I. t lirdsnakhave sp op snkest sein tirely
shalnthematlnclfoor ? When the ongoonen were Oun d ctooextsivedaptiverdi- mne
I lunead to the ceildad aid, in ebodaced o t iden6as in theb Ih nn tin d h g ne coe o ecapymt n .ikesmfo ii y
"we do have oakes ta Virgi 18i00s to control the ran s in the ofdem biajorhboltheworld o ol y ol Dm
tlads- pMbehr b in for a pchlds p.itrl -y on Some snakes la burrowing in lgth to lO pylhns which
ea with" iB island of St. oix, tho e o- specit nd re .u ly Small ad
The childic were shocked. goono wi~ed ol practically ever snae. H er, few spci of h eys tl a it nbiddleenb YSeUSNAKES. pge

SNAKES CmmrnflOMuAEs
tacbamole9aethsloon, turningitooesor lil e. hisspecde common on St. John and St.
However, any people blve is ditinguished by hi bgeor pink Thone.l They ca be fourd under
song fo oing bo wukes. A few lnio nd dtheringsof sotalo aimund rccks, bhe of wll, and n imois
fid tonhe i faso riag and later. te body. Illn reos Tho r belly is white
ipe Otoerpopelined t as epul- Amephiouldiis r eo vontbio light beige with a dark spot on
sivc, and sonpeopkc ca deop predltorsn Ifyou b led oe, t11 lthersideoinehvnnrl ascu
arllferofllnakhe. will bite you. Although thee Thw pperpy of th body is
Seeke, along with MI.lsand tes ksno a le m than o1 bmh w o b r with a darket rip
eards. looto the group of ani- and % inch indinmetle the bitcnl nla dow s th id from behind
nIls nown aeonepiles. bphe .he eya hey re over a fool long.
Seolt ac acativel an usually 1)p hop riod ae known a Ty o flrog, snull lInds, slup
prefer to move away when dis- won or blind sakes. They are .r diwsectZ
td. Butlikesomeother aninm l grey or brown aboec and cream Th otope poemirio s is
snak my tand tb b grondoA l below with a cylidric l body and ra ike ad is'pSbly
and strike when surprised or cor. the tlil eds with a 'hrp polot. on te e Vigin Islands. They
rnted. The snakes feed on softodied are common o c nasld. e, ad
Snakes ar not cold-blooded, inseaosuch stdiele OGrater and Lsser l t. Jme
murder animalss like some people ThlHbind snakes an in s to islands. Some reach over 2 .ll
tmake m nitobe. 10 inches long with educed eyes
In fhac, snae do nol pry on and spcd their live ugodeground. M
people but on ohr living l orgn. When threatened above ground, Mo" of ith.strokes ar grey.
ism. They fuctioon i pnedts in hy will coil p wik their ohead browno orlive bove the body.
tIb tanletnra po lcctd by ell and wave their while eoe have longiItudinl
Whben c.ive. soak feed on stripes o the sides. When Ithree.
ovary f anls.ma uch s toad, Ts i Vtir r lds poud boei o ed and n covered they will c
frgoe, snlamnodeo iOnses. wo.m. epntoeoner coenoiw in w dg. thi.. heads and flatten ir neck
tnl odOt or bind. ply rane snake. These snakes ee o but t o talk abot
Snkes repdue in two ways. found mostly on thousto sid of bul i' nothing o .
Some pecies lay eIgs. Other St.Thomas. hey a 15 i- s to d etismostylld ds
speo give birthholivingyoung. 30 inches long. Thder bodioerd-- So yose. w do havcm ak
Yoasg sokeo develop rapidly Ulns a e ovmed with an regular in the Virgin Ia nds. They ae as
asd hed tb ir lskitn to ake eof cmnsb l duak bownon a light mucb afraid of us as we e of
itiir growth. Adult seakne may igoy-bnown background thea. Aloer ll the itet was their
sbedovern times I yeo. They coo He ground boa hamds wae cov. hlebefoowe denroyedit.
have audivided scales ol teder- enrd with inegulu amnall wules. Oluasen Daus who hods a nmas
sideofid thr i Their bode om e ce~ m with iSe- Wof ocsc e degr range msn.
The emphikaMs fee.rM I ls a daker mdoirings T-heon sakes agem d fo ry ecolo-y, is
native species, bouwwer stake anmda endangered spee li L St Croix cologit aciviot and
only oonB when one i digging Mo Te -h ayrerlon ne i e wrinr.