Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1872-04-24
ABOUT RATTLESNAXES.

A rattlesnake caught in Alabama was
confined in glass case, over six months
ago. Since that time it has not parta-
ken of one particle of food, though it has
been tempted with mice and other small
animals on which the reptile is accus-
toned to feed The snake manifested
no inconvenience from its confinement,
nor did it lose any in size or bodily vital
ity. Its eyes continued to glisten like
magnetic steel, and its facinating tongue
ready to protrude at the appearance of
any one near the case. DIR. Cotton thought
all the while it was a male. though
small rats and mice 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 had taken small
quantities of water. One day lately, on
going in the back room of the store,
where the case is kept, it was discovered
that the snake had given birth to four
young snakes, and by three o'clock she
had given birth to three more, making
seven in all. The young snakes made
their appearance one at a time, and in
coiled or striking position, their eyes
glsteninc and their enYenOmed tongues
continuously darting out. The young
are each from nine to fifteen inches in
length and in a state of perfect develop
ment. They are quick of motion and
possess no ordinary spinal vitality, as
they crawl readily to the top of the case,
and move with celebrity across it from
end to end. What is most singular and
contrary to all resolved notions concern-
ing the reptile, each of these yonng
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
indications. it was thought, of increasing
her coiling family. The young snakes
coil around her and under her and over
her, and she seems to lave for them the
natural maternal affection of instinct.
This snake has peen in captivity six
months. yet during all that period of time
she as partaken of not morsel of food
and has brooded her seven young. As
to exactly how long from inception the
process OF CESSATION or incubation has
been going on. there is 10 means of as
certaining.
DR.. Cotton states tha: he once before
kept in the same case large sized rat
tlesnake for three years and nine months
and that he studied closely its various
moods and changes This snake, he
says. did not partake of particle of food
for the first nine months. and but little
water. He then gave it rats, mice, ETC..
putting them into its case alive, and it COM
menced devouring them voraciously. 1t
would never touch lame mouse or
dead one fresh as it might be. When a
young rat was put into the case it would
plant its unerring fang in some part of
the body, and then wait until it died from
thorough incubation of the poison.
When quite dead, it would turn it over,
take it head foremost and swallow it, evil
IDENTIFY drawing nutriment from the poi-
son its fangs had infused. 1t shed its
skin twice year, each spring and au-
tumn, new rattle appearing at each
shedding, which explodes the popular
idea that but one rattle comes year.