SNAKES IN BANANAS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 978, 28 November 1890, Page 12

SNAKES IN BANANAS.

In the Scientific American for October 11th Professor E. D. Cope writes as follows: “snakes in bananas. “ Banana bunches brought from tropical America sometimes contain snakes of the family Boidse tightly wound round the central stem. % A specimen of this kind was taken in Savannah, Georgia, and was sent to the United States National Museum. I inuentified it as epicratis augulifer, a native of Cuba. More recently a snake was found in a similar situation in a lot of bananas in Chicago, and was sent by Dr J. L. Hancock to the National Museum. Dr Steijneger has identified it as boa imperator, the common species of Central America and Mexico. The specimens are always young, as adult boas of the genera named could not be concealed in so small a space.”

The above shows how easy it is for undesirable importations to be made. I havo already seen in Wellington, introduced in bananas, a large tropical centipede and a millipede, a bite from either of which would have proved a serious trouble, for it must be remembered that the tropical species are usually venomous, while the Hew Zealand forms are comparatively harmless. I would suggest that all persons engaged in handling bananas and other imported produce should keep a sharp look out for any unwelcome visitors, otherwise we may soon have this beautiful country, which we are fond of boasting possesses no venomous reptiles, rendered unsafe for picnic paities. The islands whence the bananas come have a number of snakes, and in view of the experience of the United States we cannot be too careful.—l am, &e., Fibld Naturalist.