The Jiboia, which is scarcely distinguishable from the preceding serpent in size or colour, has no spears to its tail, nor does it bite. When it seizes any living creature it is always for the purpose of eating it. It never attacks its prey without first winding its tail round the trunk of a tree, in order that its prisoner may not drag it away, and, after having fatigued it by its first attack, it then draws itself so closely round the animal that it breaks its bones and kills it.
The Cobra, of Cascavel, or Rattle Snake, is so called in consequence of its tail terminating with some similitude to the husks of a species of dried pulse. It has scarcely the thickness of a man’s leg, with proportionable length. It never bites without beating three times with its cascavel, or rattle, upon the ground, and its bite is almost always fatal. It is said that the number of the divisions of the tail is equal to the age in years of this snake. The snake caninana is very long, of a slender form, black and spotted with yellow. The jararaca is a species the most numerous, and its bite is fatal. That denominated the cauda-branca (white tail) is not more than a span in length, and there is yet no known antidote against its venom. The living creature that has the misfortune to be stung by it immediately becomes convulsed, sweats blood, and expires in a short time. The jararacucu is of a deep green colour, of considerable length, and slender. Its bite is generally mortal.
The Cobra de Coral (Coral Serpent) is small, of slender form, venomous, and beautified with rings of various colours.
Duas Cabecas, (Two Heads,) so called because all its length is of the same thickness. It is also venomous. It is said that the best antidote for its bite is to eat the liver of the said snake.
The Cobra Verde, or Green Serpent, is of little length, and very small.
The Papapintos is a large gray snake, said to be harmless. It is seldom met with but upon the margins or in the vicinity of lakes, where it catches toads and rats.
There is another species of serpent, called by the Brazilians Campo-limpa, (Field Cleaner,) in consequence of its cleaning the fields of the smaller snakes. It is light coloured, with a yellowish cast, ornamented with a variety of spots, and is about six feet long. Almost all these species of snakes are said to be viviparous.
The Padre Manoel Ayres de Cazal says, that in the parish of Muritiba, near Cachoeira, in the province of Bahia, a serpent was shown to him, killed within an hour, as a curiosity, in consequence of being wholly unknown to the people. It was scarcely a foot in length, but thick and round, and smooth as an eel, to which its head assimilated. The tail was short and pointed in a pyramidical form. It had four feet extremely small, without any appearance of legs.
In the Brazil there are various species of Spiders, which furnish excellent silk.
The Caranquejeira, so denominated in consequence of being of the size of a moderate sized caranguejo, or crab-fish, is covered with long hair, and is venomous.