. Carnegie Institution of Washington publication. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF VENOMOUS SNAKES 53 The predominance of the crotaline snakes is most remarkable. While the genus Ancistrodon is less numerously represented than in Asia, Lachesis is much more in evidence. Moreover, two new genera have made their appear- ance on the American continent, namely, Crotalus and Sistrurus. Both are characterized by the presence of the "rattles" at the end of the tail. Of 8 different genera, 4 (Vipera, Echis, Pseudocerastes, and Cerastes) are found in Asia and Africa in common, and Vipera also in
. Carnegie Institution of Washington publication. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF VENOMOUS SNAKES 53 The predominance of the crotaline snakes is most remarkable. While the genus Ancistrodon is less numerously represented than in Asia, Lachesis is much more in evidence. Moreover, two new genera have made their appear- ance on the American continent, namely, Crotalus and Sistrurus. Both are characterized by the presence of the "rattles" at the end of the tail. Of 8 different genera, 4 (Vipera, Echis, Pseudocerastes, and Cerastes) are found in Asia and Africa in common, and Vipera also in Europe, but the rest are characteristic of each continent. It does not follow, however, that these same genera occurring in different continents are represented by the same species. On the contrary, the species of a genus vary according to the prosper- ity enjoyed by the genus on the particular continent. The members of the genus Vipera have different species-characteristics, depending upon whether they inhabit Africa, Asia, or Europe. Of 4 genera of the subfamily Crotalinae, Ancistrodon and Lachesis inhabit both Asia and America, but the constituent species of these two genera differ widely according to the continent to which they belong. It is also seen that of 28 genera of the subfamily Elapins, only the Naja is met both in Africa and in Asia, and of that genus there is no species common to both continents. It is noteworthy that even the marine snakes, whose pelagic nature would render almost any artificial geographical boundaries of ocean insignificant, seem to have more or less restricted habitats. Thus, some genera prefer to swim about the coasts of tropical Asia, and especially along the Indian and Malayan coasts and Archipelago, while still others seem to be confined near Sydney. In general, however, the habitat of the marine snakes is highly uncertain and reports of the capture of certain species from unexpected parts of the globe add difficulties to this particular po
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