The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-04-07
HOUSE SNAKES.


ftAk0SEA SNaNEOs
The Queer Rxt-Catshers That Aes Em-
pioyed ny BraxiiIans.
| In certain parts of Braziiy where the
climate Is intensely hot, and where
rats are great nuisance, the common
cat does not thrive. but IS replaced By
a domestic rat-catcher whose presence
causes decidedly unpleasant sensation
to visitors from the north. when they
| first come in contact with this creature
An American who recently visited Bra
I'll upon business tour. and who
/ spent short time ut the estate OF q
well to do brazilian on the San Fran
els D river, writes this account OF his
observation Of the Brazilian rat
catcher:
| On the morning after my arrival,
on descending the staircase from my
room to go down to breakfast, | was
| frightened almost half to death at see
!, ing nm enormous snake cnrlcd up on
the floor exactly at the foot Of the
stairs,
The serpent was apparently asleep
but was not at all sure that he might
(, not be preparing to strike at me. So /
ran bask up the stairs with all the
7. speed could manage. and then pro-
ceedcd to shout for help. y
| "Intwo minutes the hall was full OF
servants, all gazing at me in astonish-
ment; and my host rushed out OF his
own apartment
"'What is the fnatter?' he asked, in
his best English.
r 4 r.. n 4. -
that snalxer
II pointed at the coiled-up monster
at the foot OF the staircase, who now
had lifted up his head a little, and was
sleepily looking about him.
.sThe servants held their hands to
their mouths, and my host laughed out
right
"'Why, said he, that's only Pedro;
that's our giboia.'
"'oh. said I, gasping, I thought 1t
was great snake.
/" 1T is snake, said my host but it
is perfectly harmless, except to rats
! You will not find house in this part
of Brazil without one They keep the
premises clear Of rats. Pedro won't
hurt you
"sBut how am going to get down
stairs?' asked uneasily.
"'Oh, you can step right over him.
II declined, however, to make this
attempt; whercupon a servant came
forward and, Selling the snake abont
| the neck with both hands, dragged him
out into the yarl.
II saw that the creature, as he was
extended, was not less than four yards
long. and as thick as the arm OF the
negro who dragged him out
Before left the place found out q
great deal about giboias. They are a
| species OF small boa constructor, and
are employed very generally in Brazil
to catch rats. They are inoffensive,
apparently not at all venomous, and in
their domesticated condition, perfectly
tame.
sin his habits Pedro was good exam
pie OF his race, though he was Of con.
siderably larger size than the average
"All day long he slept somewhere in
the house, generally at the foot OF the
stairs But when evening approached
he began to wake up and after night
fall he glided swiftly about the prem
ises, looking for rats
HE even hal holes which enabled
him to get between the floors and cell
ings and into the space within the parti.
tions.
whenever he found rat he pounced
upon him, wrapped him in his folds and
carried him out of the house. leaving
him dead. The servants told me that
the backbone of every rat he caught
was broken in at least dozen places
"As for me- preferred tine rats to the
snake and took good care that my
chamber door was shut at night and
that there were no holes left open in
] the ceiling or the floor from which Pc
dro might emerge into my apartment
'He never seemed to eat the rats; In.
deed, never saw him eat anything at
all. The negroes said he killed the
rats for the fun OF It,
~ afterward saw giboias for sale in
the markets of Pernambuco and Bahia
for prices ranging from dollar to two
dollars was told that they easily be-
came domesticated to such an extent
that II they were removed from one
house to another they invariably re-
turned to the house from which they
had been taken
TN tho cou TRY, therefore, the rat
snake goes with the house. and II You
have occasion to purchase or hire res
idence the proprietor will brag about
the virtues and skill of the giboia. -
Youths Companion.
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