St. Landry democrat., 1885-10-03

The only other poisonous snake ia
the Middle and Eastern States is the
copperhead. This creature is seldom
more than three feet long, is very slen-
der, and rather pretty. 1t is of pale
red color, with row of dark brown
spots on the back. The head is of
color something like copper. 1t lives
in rocky places, and grows scarcer the
farther north we go.
The moccasin seems to be only found
in the Southern States. 1t is from
three to four feet long, and lives in
swampy places. often on tufts and
| hummocks of grass. 1t is short,
thick snake, with rough scales. When
young it is of q greenish hue. with
dark bands on the neck; but when old
it becomes almost black. The COM
mon Water-spake of the North is often
called moccasin, though it is not at
all like the true moccasin, and is quite
harmless.
All snakes may be divided into three
classes: those that kill by poison, those
that construct, or coil around their prey,
and those that swallow their prey alive.
Their mode of swallowing is one of the
most remarkable features of snake life,
since they often swallow creatures much
| larger than themselves 1t is rather
curious to see a slim-bodied serpent
slowly swallowing fat frog two or
three times its diameter, and looking
| after the operation like rubber tube
with base ball in its center.
| In fact, all snakes have rubber-lke
power of stretching. The head is very
4 ctyr nf,I TnctnoI nT 10
bones being firmly joined together, as
in other animals, they are held together
by elastic hgaments. These readily
stretch, so that the bones can be pulled
apart. and the opening of the jaws
greatly widened. 1t is the same with
the body. 1t has great stretching pow
ers, and can easily hold something of
diameter several times larger than its
own. But the stories that are some
times told of the great tropical boas
Swallowing oxen or other large animals
need not be believed. In these travel
ers' stories there is shown power OF
stretching which beats that of any
| snake.
No one need believe the story that
the snake ticks its prey all over, and
| covers it with Shiny substance before
attempting to swallow it. Snakes have
great flow of saliva, and their food
when taken int the mouth is quickly
covered with Shiny substance which
makes it more easily swallowed.
The snakes mouth has six rows of
long, fine teeth, curved inward, which
are not suited to cut or bite, but are
good at holding on. When frog,
mouse or bird is caught, it is worked
into the mouth, the teeth letting it en-
ter easily, but not letting it out again.
The six bones which bear the teeth each
moves separately, and each keeps loos-
ing its hold and taking new hold fur.
Their out. so that the prey is steadily
drawn back by this active motion
The bodies of all snakes are covered
with scales. These help them in their
movement by the friction Of their edges
with the ground. But the main moving
organs are the ribs. OF these some,
snakes have as many as three hundred
pairs, all movable and able to press back
ward through the skin upon the ground
AS to the power of snakes 70 charm
other animals thisneeds yeti be proved.
It is well known that many animals
seriously frightened, and what is usually
charming is probably this effect OF
fright. The wonderful stories Of bird
charming by snakes are no doubt a lit
tie embellished to make them seem
more remarkable. It is possible that
the effect is something like what we
call mesnlerism, or animal magnetism.
Snakes are divided by some writer's
into five classes-the burroWing, the
ground, the tree, the fresh-water and
the sea-snakes. The burrowers live
mainly underground. They have short,
stiff body, with firm, close-set scales,
and live on worms and Slugs, etc. The
tree snakes are smal1-sized, swift-moy-
ing creatures, often bright green in
color. Many of them can swing down
ward by the tail when seeking their ia
vorite food of eggs or young birds Some
of them are poisonous. The ground
snakes comprise far the greater number,
and are those best known. Though
ordinarily living on the ground, they
frequently take to trees or TO the water.
The true water-snakes are small in size
and harmless, though poisonous ground.
snakes often frequent the water.
Snakes are very fond Of milk. though
they do not milk cows, as has been as.
serted. They are also fond of eggs, and
there is a story of cobra having en-.
tered hen-house through a chink and
swallowed so many eggs that he could
not get out again. The robber was
slain, the eggs placed under the hen
again, and duly Matched out as if moth.
ing had happened.
On an average, snakes sleep half the
year, while the green gartar snake