Show HES POSSUM OF SNAKE TRIBE spreading adder seeks to terrify but really li in nothing more boic than a big bluff iles hes a sly creature this snake wheal laes hes discovered and trapped hell make maka such a hul hullabaloo labano about it with his hissing and contortions that it youre youra not wise to the tact fact that hes only bluffing youre sure to be frightened cays teays the philadelphia north american it if youre acquainted with him Lo however wever and refuse to run hell give one final twist and roll over on his back just as aa though ho he had made up his bis mind to dlo die and save you the trou ble ot of killing him but dont bo be fooled iles only playing possum iles tho the spreading adder ilia his tricks have resulted in all sorts of wild stories about him many people bellevo believe hes bos poisonous noua because lie be spreads his head out flat and hisses when hes disturbed dist urbel aa j a matter of 0 tact fact ho he bouldi couldn t hurt you it if you picked him up by th head lies hes only bluffing when he blis biases ses then theres another story about tho the spreading adder to tho the effect that ho will bite himself and fall over dead this belief comes from ilia hla habit ot of playing possum when he sees hes cornered and cant escape tho the spreading adder is about thirty inches long a reddish brown and blotched and spotted lie ile lives in dry woods and on sandy hillsides hill sides and eats toads and insects iles hes also called the blowing viper or the hog nosed adder a d |