Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1872-08-22
Something About Rattlssnakes.

A Nashville, Tenr, paper says that about
the 10th of May last Drs. Cardwell and
Westmoreland captured at Prospect, in the
lower edge of Giles County, near the Ala
bama line, rattlesnake four feet three
inches long and five inches in circumfer-
ence. When captured it had eight rattles
and button. Since that time it has been
confined in a glass case it has not par.
taken of one particle of food, though 1t has
been tempted with mice and other small
animals on which the reptile is accustom-
ed to feed. The snake manifested no in
convenience from its confinement, nor did
it lose any in size or bodily vitality. Its
eyes continued to glisten like magnetic
steel, and its fascinating fangs to protrude
at tie appearance of any one near the case.
DR.. Cotton thought all the while it was
male. Though small mice and rats have
been confined in the case with the snake
until their own hunger urged them to bite
at its scaly hide, the serpent refused to
give them notice or to partake of food. On
two or three occasions it has taken small
quantities of water. On going into the
back room one day recently, where the
case is kept, it was discovered that the
snake had given birth to four young snakes,
and two hours later gave birth to three
more, making seven IN all. The young
snakes make Their appearance one at
time and in a coiled or striking position,
their eyes glistening and their envenomed
tongues continually dartlng out. The
young ones are each from nine to fifteen
inches in length, and in state Of perfect
development They are quick CT motion
aud possess no ordinary spinal vitality, as
they crawl readily to the topof the case
and move with celebrity across and around
it from end to end. What is most singu-
lar and contrary to all the received notions
concerning tn? reptile, each of these young
snakes has full button on the tail, which
clearly refutes the idea that they have to
be six months old before the formation OF
the button. The old snake was lying in
her cage in lethargic state, with some In
dications, as the doctor thought, ofincreas-
ing the coiling family. The young snakes
coil around her, and under and over her,
and she seems to nave for them the ma
ternal affection OF instinct. This snake has
been in captivity near four months, yet
during all that period she has partaken Of
not a mGrsel of food, and has brooded her
seven young. As to exactly how long from
inception tie process of CESSATION or inca-
baton has been going on, there is no
means of aScertaining, as we can only date
from her captivity. DR.. Cotton informs
us that be once before kept in the same
case a large sized rattlesnake tor three
years and nine months, and that he studied
closely its various moods and changes.
This snake, he says, did not partake of a
particle of food for the first nine months,
and but little water. He then gave it
mice, rats, &C., putting the same into the
case alive, and it commenced deVouring
voraciously. 1t never would touch tame
mouse, or a dead one, fresh as it might be.
When young rat was put into the case it
would plant its unerring fang in some part
of the limb or body, and then wait until it
died from the thorough incubation of the
poison. When quite dead it would turn it
over, take it head foremost and swallow it,
evidently drawing nutriment from the
poison its own fargs had Infused. 1t shed
its skin twice year each spring and
autumn-a new rattle appearing at each
shedding, which explodes the popular no.
ton that but one rattle comes year.
The docter took the case and placed it in
the sun. From the effects of the sun three
young ones died. Two others became
stupefied, but recovered their vitality on
being removed to the shade.