ADDERS’ FREE STATE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17345, 27 September 1924, Page 17

ADDERS’ FREE STATE.

GORDIAN KNOT OF SNAKES AT ZOO. LONDON, August 0. French statesmen have drawn attention to what they regard as the remarkable freedom enjoyed by the snakes at the London Zoo, and terday the little open-air colony of ( vipers had a largo circle ol' rather’ shuddory admirers. 1l i.s quite an interesting exhibit. An island of plants and rock-work i.s surrounded by a concrete moat witli incurving sides. The whole i.s sunk in the lawn just outside the Reptile House, with the warning label “ Poisonous.” There the adders share their home with some largo grass-snakes and an active collection of big, green lizards. The lizards are reinforced from time to time, for there are occasional mysterious disappearances, each corn;•spending with a bulge in a snake. Not long ago a grass-snake started to devour a viper. He was photographed in the act, and then changed his mind and his menu. The viper seemed none the worse. Both kinds of snakes are afflicted by pigeons. These flap down on the clustered reptiles and prick them with their sharp toes. There i.s much discontented writhing until the visitors fly avav. The snakes have made tunnels through the earth, and inside the island they have built a large dormitory in which they huddle together through their winter sleep. At this time of year they live outside and get hopelessly entangled with each other in a huge Gordian knot. It needs a sharp eve to seo which head belong to what tail.