The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-08-03
RATS BUILDING FORTS.
How They Fortify Themselves Against tho
Attacks of Snakes.

How They Fortify Themselves Against the
Attacks of Snakes.
In many parts of New Mexico and Arizona
there grows a peculiar kind of cactus, known
as togo, which from bottom TO top is mass
of fine, sharp thorns. To snakes, coyotes,
and all sorts of ''varmints;' this cactus is a
holy terror, for its thorns are easily detached
fHsm the plant, and when once in the flesh
make a poisonous sore. Birds build their
| nests in a togo thicket, and there find safety
from their enemies, which do not dare to at
tempt the dangers of the togo for the sake
either of eggs or birds. Whether observa-
ton of the immunity enjoyed by the birds
prompted the rats to the intelligent actions
observed cannot say, but certainly if ever
there was a case Of clear and consecutive
reasoning from cause to effect it was this
Near the camp where was located there
was large hill very much broken, and on
one side a precipice perhaps twenty feet
high. Passing close by the foot of the preci-
pice one day, and coming unexpectedly round
the corner of the rock, surprised number
of wood rats, apparently very busy about
something Immediately on my appearance
they all scampered away to hole in the
rock, each making high jump as he neared
the hole, and diving head first out of sight.
l paid them little attention at the time and
did not examine the hole or its vicinity, but
day later, passing the same spot, noticed
them repeat the maneuver.
Still did not regard it as anything out of
the ordinary, and not until had witnessed
their retreat and high jump for the third
time did it occur to me that the incident was
peculiar. then went up to the hole, and to
hot 70.
direction the ground was thicllly set with the
togo thorns. Wondered how they got there,
but dismissed the matter from mind until
day or so later, when | surprised a caravan
of rats on their way from togo thicket
close by. Each rat carefully conveyed one or
more thorns in his mouth. Upon my APP
pearance every one dropped his little burden
and fed as before, and resolved to fathom
the mystery.
Accordingly, the next morning 1 made
circuit over the hill ata considerable distance
from the precipice and no Indian stealing
along in pursuit of an enemy ever crawled
over the ground with more circumspect care
tsan in chase of information about the rats.
Finally reaching the edge OF the little cliff, l
selected spot where a cleft in the rock gave
me the opportunity sought for, of seeing
without being seen, and cautiously peeped
over. The ground was alive with rats, old
and young, and all were as busy as nailers.
Some were at the togo thicket cutting the
thorns, others were transporting them with
cautious haste to the vicinity of the nest, and
still others were setting them in the earth in
such a way as to make perfect and formi-
dable chevaux-de-frise. All the points were
turned out, and SO thickly were the thorns
planted that even the tip of ones finger could
not have touched the ground without wound
from the points.
Day by day watched while the work went
on, and in three or four days the fertilization
was completed, and the thorns set as thickly
" they could stand in a semicircle from the
wSll of rock in which was the hole, the en-
trance to the nest The rats were evidently
fresh arrivals in that neighborhood, for the
hole gave no sign of previous occupation, but
in less than week they were quite at home,
and thoroughly fortified against snakes, which
was evidently their purpose in constructing
the thorny rampant For nearly two yards
in every direction from the rock the thorns
extended, and when the fertilization was
completed no engineer could have planned
and executed a better system of protection.
With due regard for their own comfort and
convenience the rats had, by some means best
known to themselves, placed three stones,
double the size of fist, at nearly equal dis
tances from each other in the midst of the
thorny hedge, and when going in and out of
the nest leaped from one to the other.
One evening while watching them at play
I saw sentinel rat at some distance from
the nest come running in with evident signs of
alarm. In moment the scene was changed,
and a stream of rats wen: leaping from one
stepping stone to another, finally diving into
the hole till all had disappeared. Then was
made apparent the cause of the fright-a
good sized RATHER at some distance winding
his way along in chase of the fleeing sentry.
He evidently smelt a rat, but was in no
hurry, as being sure that the refuge of his in
tended supper was easy of access and at no
great distance. So on lie came, on the track
of the rats, occasionally pausing and darling
out his long tongue as though licking his lips
in pleasant anticipation
Not a rat, however. was to be seen. On
came the rattlesnake, touched the thorns, and
at once drew back Something wrong about
this, he seemed TO say to himself, moved a
little to one side, and again started forward.
More thorns Again he tried, but at every
point the sharp spears presented themselves,
and whenever he felt them against his scales
he hurriedly retired. And now the rats be-
gan to take an interest in the matter, gray
old veteran occasionally showing his whiskers
at the hole and swiftly retreating when he
caught sight of the threatening snake.
For some time the play went on, but al
though the snake coiled himself and appar-
emily endeavored to charm the rats, they re-
a. 90 off ha cha
though as the impotence of the snake for
harm became more apparent they waxed
holder, one or two occasionally even coming
out of the hole and squeaking as though in
derision, though they dived in again with in
credible swftness whenever the ratter became
unusually ferocious.
As darkness was coming on, and l did not
care to wait longer, | ended the scene by
throwing large stone at the snake, and,
missing it, regret to say, it was gone before
could descend. So l left the rats to enjoy
their well earned security and went back to
camp. Narrating my experience later, ]
learned that it was a common thing for rats
to protect themselves in this way, and that
the protection is perfect, for the snakes will
never cross even single line of the togo
thorns, since, when the scales on the lower
part of the snakes body are separated in the
act of moving forward, the sharp thorns pen
citrate the tender skin, and give the reptile
great annoyance.
Indeed, this part of snakes body seems
exquisitely sensitive, for snakes win not cross
hair rope, and plainsmen tell me there is no
better protection Of q camp from rattlers
than hair rope laid on the ground in circle
around it, as the snakes will make the circuit
of the rope and then move off. Whether this
be so or not, few instances of better adapta-