Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-08-08
GREAT SNAKES ALIVE.
VALUABLE INFORMATION FOR
SNAKE ROMANCISTS.
Pointers from which the Average Teller
of big Yarns Can .sRefresh His
Memory on Technical
POints-Popular Snakes.

NoppSIho<tuo dEb seub mere from the
mountains and find a market in city
zoos. But fortunately for the show
business, the snake charmers, and the
snake trade. the largest and most
snowy snakes in the world are non
poisonous. The snakes found in the
market are chiefly boa constructors.
pythons, whipsnakes, and blaeksnakes,
all of which are non-poisonous. We
see very few big snakes except boas
and pythons. These are the chief
stock-in-trade of the snake charner OF
the circus and dime museum. Hence
it is that this betinseled young woman,
who is popularity supposed to restrain
the great snakes she handles so care
lessly from singing her to death by
the exercise of some mysterious power
over their passions. in reality runs no
risk whatever. Her snakes couldn't
poison her if they wanted to, and so
long as she keeps them fed to repletion
all the while they are too sluggish By
nature to offer any resistance to her
careful handling. Anybody who is
able to overcome mans natural re-
pungnance to snakes sufficiently to
hang them around his neck and arms
can be from that moment a successful
snake charmer.
Three kinds of boa constlctors are
common in the New York market.
The most common is the tree boa Of
Brazil. 1t is lighter in color than the
great India boa, but otherwise much
the same in appearance. These snakes
are found in large numbers in the
great forests bordering upon the Anna
zon and Platte rivers. They are some
times taken twelve feet in length.
Tree boas of twelve and fourteen feet
are often brought here. but most of
them are seven or eight feet long. The
Brazilian Indians capture them while
gathering rubber. They load them
and the rubber into canoes and take
them to AIaDaos, 1000 miles up the
Amazon, and sell them to the traders.
The snakes come down the river 10
Para in the American-built steamers in
which New York companies send raw
rubber to the coast. There is an old
fellow in Para who has grown rich in
the snake and animal trade. He is
universally known in the trade as
Monkey Joe. He buys up all the
monkeys parrots and snakes that the
steamers bring down the river, and
sells them at a profit to speculative
sailors and sea captains, who bring
them to New York. The smallest tree
boas brought here measure from four
to five feet, and are worth about $l5.
The big ones bring $3.50 unless Of I'M
usual size, when they sometimes COM
mand as high as $3.50 to $500. 1t in
creases the value of any snake if the
dealer can guarantee him "a good
FEEDER Most snakes feed sparingly
in captivity, and are not so long lived.
Some won't feed at all, and do not live
much over year. A good feeder VIII
keep stout and shiny, and will live ten
or dozen years.
The African boa and the African
our market differ very slightly from
the tree boa of Brazil in size, desira-
bility. and price. African snakes are
bought at the African trading ports by
sea captains, and brought here.
considerable number come yearly from
Liberia.
The great Indian boa constructor is
more snowy than his African and Bra
lillian cousins. He is lighter cOlored,
with large, fiat head. He is larger.
too, being occasionally found twenty
five and thirty feet long. He brings
better price right through, ten-foot
snake in good condition being worth
from SIS to 800.
An another Brazilian snake which is
much priced in the New York market
is the anaconda. Sometimes large
specimens get here, but in the long
run anacondas average smaller than
boas. They are handsomely marked,
and much in request by snake charm
ers as a contrast with the numerous
boa constructors in their snake chests.
Anacondas will bring from 800 to
$3.50 each. according to size and con-
dition. Their habits are very similar
to those Of the python.
These sum up the really popular
snakes in the market. About one
thousands of them, big and little are
sold yearly. The small snakes In the
market are all of home production.
Pine snakes are fayorites. Trey are
found everywhere in pine lands. They
are captured in large numbers in New
Jersey and Virginia. They are dark
on the back and sides and white be-
meath. They measure from two to five
feet, and bring from s. to SO. accord
ing to length. The whipsnake is also
in much request as it is bright and
pretty in colors and marking. A num-
Der OF whipsnakes in nest OF big boas
and sober pine and blacksnakes,
brighten up the general effect attrac-
lively. The whipsnake's name comes
from it's shape, which tapers from head
to tail like a whip lash. These snakes
are caught in the mountains Of Ken
lucky and Georgia. Blacksnakes also
come into the market in considerable
numbers.
OF the poisonous snakes, the RATHER
is by far the most popular. Rattlers