Not only has this reptile the power to inflict a deadly bite with its poison fangs—it is able to spit a stream of venom into the eyes of a person standing some feet away. Dogs and calves are often blinded in this way.
The puff-adder, Bitis arietans, is an important member of the viper family. This flat-headed, repulsive-looking creature, with its thick, dark-brown body, is highly venomous and exceedingly dangerous, as it coils up and lies quite still in the open until touched or roused. Although extremely sluggish in nature, it lunges with amazing rapidity. When its warning hiss is heard a hasty retirement is expedient. Among the other dangerous adders are the Night adder, Causus rhombeatus, which lays eggs; the small Peringuey’s adder, Bitis Peringueyi; the queer Hornsman or Horned adder, Bitis cornuta, which has two or more erect horn-like scales over each eye, like little horns; the West African adder, Bitis gabonica, which will bury itself in the sand for hours, with only the head visible; the Berg adder, Bitis atropos, which keeps to the mountain regions; and the Oviparous adder, Atractaspis bibronii, which is rarely found, since it burrows in the sand after the manner of the blind burrowing reptiles.
All the snakes mentioned above belong to the front-fanged variety, which are all poisonous. The back-fanged snakes are more or less poisonous. These include in South-West Africa the Herald or Red-lipped snake, Leptodira hotambaeia, with a speckled body, glossy head, and red upper lip; the Whip snake, Psammophis jurcatus, a thin brown reptile with a brittle tail; the Spotted Schaapsteker, Trimerorhinus rhombeatus, well-known, too, on the Karroo; the small Damaraland many-spotted snake, Rhamphiophis multimaculatus; the Dapple-backed sand-snake, Psammophis notostictus; and the Namaqualand sand-snake, Psammophis trigrammus.
None of these back-fanged reptiles are to be greatly dreaded; they will rarely attack a person; but it is not wise to take liberties with them. Even a snake will turn.
All the solid-toothed snakes are as harmless as worms, and may be freely handled. Quite a number of these are found in the country. The remarkable egg-eating snake, Dasypeltis scabra, has a highly-specialised egg-breaking mechanism. A sawing apparatus in the backbone serves the purpose of teeth. The egg-shell is cast up after the contents have been sucked down. There are several species of the small Coppery snake; one or two of the House snake, of the genus Boodon, often found near dwelling-houses. House snakes can easily be tamed, and they may become more useful than cats, and much less harmful.
The non-venomous python is found occasionally in the rocky valleys. Anchieta’s python, P. anchietæ, is the only species. This reptile has an average length of about 16 feet, and kills all its victims by constriction. The female python lays her eggs and then hatches them like a broody hen.
The dreaded scorpion is also a habitat of the country. Tortoises are found. Swarms of the migratory locust cause much damage when they descend upon the vegetation. Among the smaller but not less troublesome creatures are the many beetles, spiders, ticks, and mites.
In the coast waters the ungainly seals have their home, and off Cape Cross they are found in very large numbers. Whales are not so numerous as in former years, but several whaling stations are in existence along the shore. Altogether, South-West Africa has an uncommon variety of individuals in the animal world.
Chapter V
THE EARLY DAYS
The only use of war, says a cynical writer, is to teach geography. Certainly there are many people in South Africa who a few months ago would have been sorely puzzled to locate Luderitz Bay on the map of Africa. And how many are aware that this islet-studded inlet is a place of considerable historic importance? It was here, says Theal, that “for the first time Christian men trod the soil of Africa south of the tropic.”[11]