The Portland daily press., 1881-08-25
TIE PRESS.
Snake Fangs.
London Feld.]

London Field
Why are snakes provided with fangs? The
natural answer is, GAS means of self-de-
fense." Rut is not this idea of 'self-defense,"
though obviously correct up to certain point,
pushed little too far2 Whatever active
weapons sn animal posseses-fangs, teeth,
claws, spurs, beak, powers of compression, or
other force-are given it primarily for the
purpose of securing its food. The Boidg (pyth-
ons, boas, diamond and carpet snakes, anacon-
das. &C., crush their prey by the huge con-
stricting strength of their bodies; the immense
group Of the non-venomous Colubers have
neither this power with one or two exceptions)
nor fangs, but the creatures on which they
feed-chiefy frogs, lizards and fish-are such
as are easily held by the aid of their long
backward pointing teeth alone; while the
Vipertdo, Grotalide, and Elapide-the three
principal families into which poisonous SER
penis are divided-whose natural food con-
ssts for the most part of birds, small animals,
or other snakes, kill them with the fangs, and
then deyour them at leisure. How otherwise
could cobra or rattle-snake secure the rats of
which it is so fond? 1t would be torn in piec-
es did it attempt such thing, and the rat
would escape W it'll scratch. Or suppose a
big Flaps, like the hamadryad, to seize even
tiny boa or pythen, il it were destitute of
fangs; directly the constructor felt itself nipped
1t would Irvine its body about the head of its
captor, and crush it III that powerful grip. A
reptiles first impulse OF self-preservation, like
that OF every ether creature, lies in flight
the speed of some of them is almost incredible:
and as further means of eluding capture
they adopt that motion called par excellence
''serpentine" when pursued, the contantly al
tering curves of which renders it very difficult
to grasp them. If caught or held at bay, its
first effort at self defense is to bite and it is
most curious thing that this holds good of al
most all animals, no matter what their natural
weapons Of defense may be. To select exam
p'es from tue rept's world alone the iguana,
whose seTrated WEip-iike tai can lay bare the
ribs OF dog at a blow, invariably turns and
pionges Its soft, comparatively insignificant
teeth into the hand when seized by the back,
using its tail, if at all, only in its general
struggle to escape; while smaller lizard will
also employ its harmless little mouth when its
sharp claws might infiict far greater injury
And believe the constructors never use their
power except systematically to kill for food
An enraged boa will dart at one over and ov-
er again open-mouthed, and may give very
nasty wounds with its long teeth, but it will
not attempt to entangle the enemy in
us coils. L have repeatedly seen them,
movements of a small animal in their
cage, turn and snap at it spitefully as a veno-
nous snake might do, but nothing further, and
have often been attacked without any other
result. Nevertheless, if boa be held (especi-
ally by the neck) or finds an unwelcome object
within its folds, it may tighten of course. A
young tree boa of my own jammed its head be-
tween two of the wires of its den the other day
and in order TO free it was obliged to hold it
by the neck (where all snakes dislike to be
touched) and work the head up and down. 1t
coiled its body around my wrists quietly
enough; but when the head slipped back with
a jerk, in its fright and excitement it suddenly
gripped me with such force as to make me cry
out Some time ago, too, in Antwerp a py-
thon measuring IA feet long, whose diseased
mouth / was endeavoring to cure, frightened a
half turn of her body across my side SO forcibly
as to crush me nearly to death. That was be-
cause L was holding her; had she been at lib
erty she might have jumped at me a dozen
times and stripped off the flesh with her teeth
but would have made no attempt to seize me-
have known a vicious boa foiled in his attack
by blanket, tear it out of ones hands, and
come on again with distended jaws but he al.
ways recoiled after every blow, and seemed to
forget or be unconscious of the great power at
his command.