Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-10
THE SNAKE FAMILY.
LEADING SPECIES MET IN THE OLD
AND NEW WORLD.
The venomous Kattlesnake, Copperhead
and Moccasin-vipers and CO.
bra iii Capelios.
From the St. Louis Globe. Democrat

lrIOm tue oI. LOUIS GlODe-DemOcrdt-I
There are in America, north of Mexico,
about $50 species of snakes, nearly al
widely distributed in geographical sense.
They comprise the first order of the rep
tiles. Their eyes have no lids, but are
covered by film that gives the peculiar
stare so disagreeable. The bones are
arranged to allow the greatest fexibility
many species having over 400 joints, work
ing on ball-and-sochet plan, in the back
bone, each, excepting the first, supporting
pair of ribs. The processes of the YER
tebra are provided with what are called
articular facets, that lock into or grasp
each other, thus strengthening and giving
greater degree of fexibility to the back
bone. In the head, however, is the most
remarkable modification. that enables the
snake to prey upon animals that seem
larger than itself. The iawbones would
seem to be a combination of elastic springs
having no gauge to their tension; thus the
quadrate bones that connect the lower Jaw
with the skull are movable, allowing the
enormous cape that all who have seen a
snake swallow its prey are familiar with.
Besides this, the bones of the Jaw itself
and palate are more or less movable. also
tending to assist greatly in the distension
of the throat.
As the snakes do not tear or mutilate
their prey, their teeth are not set in SOCK
cts, and are merely for two purposes: first.
TO poison and stnpefy the prey: and sec
ond, TO prevent its escape, acting as hooks
by which the body is hauled over the vie
tim. These holding-teeth are developed
on the ralatine, maxillary, pterygoid and
mandibular bones and in some cases on
the premaxillaries. Their action is most
remarkable. The bones of the lower Jaw
are not fastened closely to each other, so
in swallowing prey the teeth on one side
are advanced, securing hold, then on the
other side, and SO on until the victim is
hauled into the snakes throat overland,
as if so many hooks were alternately pull
ing at 1t.
The poisonous snakes, as the rattle
snakes, have two long, sharp fangs, that
are notifications of the maxillary teeth
referred to above; each appearing as if
fattened out like knife blade and bent
up, forming a hollow tube, or groove, open
at both ends. The upper portion of the
hollow fang is fastened to a bone in the
cheek which moves with ease, so that
when not in use the fangs can be folded
back-packed away, so to speak-until
needed.
Undoubtedly all animals, even man,
have in their saliva deadly poison.
though in the latter it is extremely d.
luted, and of use only in assisting the d.
gestion of the food In the poisonous
snakes, however, it is accumulated in
glands on each side of the upper law. A
delicate canal extends from the poison
gland under the eve forward to the edge of
the jaw, and there opens into the fang
above the tube of the tooth, where are
rudimentary fangs, all ready to grow out
if the large one is lost. To use the poison
the snake has merely to strike its prey, the
jaw being so arranged that as soon as the
fang enters the flesh of the victim certain
muscles press upon the..glands, squeeze the
poison through the little canal down
through the hollow fang, and the work is
done.
In their actions snakes are most grace
full. The gliding motion is effected by the
movements of the large or ventral scales,
that are successfully pushed forward, the
hinder edges resting on the ground and
forming support. These scales, fulcra,
or pushers are fastened to the ribs by mus
Giles, and by holding a snake the swelling
movement can readily be felt The inter-
nal anatomy of snakes is interesting on
many accounts, but perhaps the most strik-
ing feature is the want of symmetry in the
organs that in many animals are generally
paired; thus, the lung proper is single,
long and large, while the other is ex-
tremely small and documentary.
The young of snakes are produced in
three ways, though two are nearly identi-
cal. Some are oviparous, or lay eggs that
are generally connected and deposited I'M
der moist vegetation, where they are
Matched by the heat generated. The most
remarkable egg-laying snake is the Natrix-
torqnata, of Europe, where the embryo
develops before the egg is laid, the young
only being Matched two months after it is
deposited. A few snakes, as the vipers, are
yiviparous; that is, bring forth their young
alive. Such is, according to Schneck, the
spotted spreading adder, in a female of
which he found eighty-seven young, six
inches long Other snakes are ovovivipa-
rous, the snake retaining the egg in the
body until the young are Matched.
In color the snakes vary much, but are
generally adapted to their surroundings,
the green snakes being found in green
grass and vegetation, while the gray
snakes frequent rocky districts, where they
are alike protected. The skin is she'd in
one piece at various seasons of the wear,
being forced off in some cases by the snake
forming ring with its tail and squeezing
the rest Of the body through it, or by
wriggling though the bushes. The poison
Gus snakes may always be recognized by
their broad, fattened heads, and generally
short and thick bodies. They also, as
rule, possess vertical keel running along
the center of each scute. The non-poison-
Gus snakes have long bodies, with the head
small, no distinct neck, and the scute not
keeled.
Probably the best known of the COM
mon poisonous snakes are the rattlenakes,
that with the moccasins and copperheads
form the dangerous family Crotdlida, dis
tinguished by the large ugly head and the
absence of teeth in the upper jaw except
ing the long fangs, and the pit in the head.
They are all yiviparous; that is, the egg is
retained in the female until it is Matched,
the young then being expelled alive.
What is called the Northern rattlesnake,
or Cctalas korridus, has probably the
widest geographical range, being found in
nearly every State in the Union, from the
borders Of the Gulf of Mexico to northern
New England, and west TO the Rocky
Mountains. 1t has most formidable APP
{. pearance, and never could be mistaken
when once seen, having an enormous head,
triangular in shape, and large, brilliant
eyes, with fiery iris. Between the eye
and the nostril is deep pit that is pc
e1liar to this family of snakes. The gen.
eral color is ash, with bands and patches
of reddish-brown and gray, the abdomen
being reddish straw color, dotted with
black. They attain length Of about four