The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-09-16
The Snakes and Other Reptiles Of Cali
fOrnia.

WINE aC DerSieE lately REPRESENTS.
tive of the San Francisco Cnn CHANGED
10 meet j. j. Rivers. the curator OF the
University Museum, who is better post
ed on snakes OF the truly rural varieties
tIs an any man in California. The mu-
scum has quite collection of California
SHAKES of every possible color. barred
and striped with crimson, red and yell
low, and all those more somoer hueS
which simulate the color of the ground
on which they lie and bask in sunlight
4until the unwary picknicker or pick
oickess steps on them with a scream.
~Do YOU see that fellow up there?"
said Mr. Rivers, pointing to a huge red
snake, some ten feet long and two
inches thick, of the kind known as a
gopher snake. I'd rather have that
fellow on my farm-if had farm
than $40. You would be astonished at
the amount of vermin they can get away
with-gophers, rabbits, squirrels. birds
anything, in fact, that he is big
enough to get himself outside OF. and
that means good deal. although you
might not think so to lot,k at him.
:. You are aware, l suppose. OF the
peculiar construction of the lower jaw
1t can be unhinged. SO to speak, and
then the snake is nothing more than a
long sack with the mouth open.
have watched one of them stow away
a squirrel-long tail and all-without
making any bones about it. lie COM
menced at the head and slowly drew
the squirrel in bit by bit, his teeth and
Jaws working on the animal somewhat
as a man draws rope in hand over
hand. Finally the body was safely housed
ed, and then only the tail remained
that slipped down in the twinkiing OF
an eve. [ never realized until then
why snakes were make so long-it is to
make room for the inconvenient tails of
the other animals predestined to be
snake meat. In an improved state OF
existence when the tails have been
evolutionized off the backs OF the other
animals, probably snakes will be cut
shorter.
DO they lick their prey smooth;
as the boa constructor is said to do, to
make it slip down easily?''
mo, they take it straight. and with
out any attempt at seasoning OF that
kind. All these California snakes,
however with the exception of rattle
snakes, are true constructors. They
kill their prey by crushing it. Have
you ever seen a gopher trying to catch
a dove by taking a mean advantage OF
its maternal instincts in nesting time:
No. Well the snake will squirm up
the prickly stem of a cactus plant until
he gets near the nest, which is usually
mot very high up, and then a long and
bitter fight begins between the dove
and his mate on one side and the snake
on the other. The former doesn't al
WAYS get the worst of it, either. l have
seen q dove knock Il snake clean OFT a
cactus branch to the ground with a blow
of its wings, and then the snake crawled
away as if he did not want any more OF
that. But it generally ends the other
way-the doves keep up an angry, ter
riied screaming and bu!feting with
their wings until they are tired out.
and the snake just bides his. time in
deadly silence, until he can catch some
part OF the doves body in his mouth.
The dove never moves after that; it
seems completely paralyzed; as it
were"
.sHe does not kill it with his fangs?"
mo, he simply and slowly winds
zone deadly coil after another around
the dove until its body is completely
.enye.oped in its folds. and then one
sisese scraunch does the business.
s.Dont they sometimes kill animals
that are useful or harmless on FARM
VERY seldom. The birds which il
kills are not many after all, and they are
the most harmless animals they kill. The
amount of hurtful vermin which they
destroy in the course of year is meal
.cuIable. A little discriminating knowl
edge of this kind would be very useful
to farmers. There are numbers OF
insects, for instance, which they now
class as their enemies. simply because
they are bugs, which are entirely use
full"
:. Are there any venomous snakes il
California besides the rattlesnake"
mo, there are none. When l am on
hunting specimens simply catch any
kind of snake in my hands except :
rastiesnake, and him catch in my but
,terhv net. Rattlcsnakes differ from
the others in the method OF killing
their prey. I have watched one o.
them killing rat. He struck him two
or three times with his fangs. aud thu
rat died in few minutes, alter kicking
convu,sively for an instant or so. Aft
>er he had struck the rat the snak
drew back and waited still and motion
less as a stone until the rat was dead
or until he thought he was dead. HI
then came forward and felt him from
head TO tail with his nose. and whel
the rat gave another kick while he wa
doing so he drew quickly back again
and waited in the same motionlesS man
ncr until he thought the rat was surel
dead. Then he felt him again. ant
assured himself this time that the "a
was really dead. A snake won't Ell
ANYTHING alive-ln fact. live rat Nigh
be disagreeable inmate. Whethe
Ae knew that the rat was dead by tn
stoppage of the heart beats. or in som'
other manner. 1 do not know. but an
convinced that he assured himself o
that fact in some way before he com
mences to as>imilate the rat.
els that hairy. long-iegged thin:
L see in the case taransulaa"
.sNo there are no true tiraatu,aS ii