Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1893-09-21
DEATH VALLEY FAUNA.

fauna in that strange desert region
would seem to be the big lizards of
many species. which occur in such num-
bers and in forms SO strange as to we'll
nigh counterfeit on smaller scale the
vanished age Of mesozoic saurians
Some OF them carry bouquets of lovely
flowers in their stomachs, while others
can outstrip the fastest race horse in
running, and others are clad in plates
OF armor. There is one kind which
actually resembles in miniature a gil.
gantic repti1ian type of the chalk-form-
ing epoch.
One species is very good to eat. It
attains a length Of about one foot, is
fat, and when properly prepared tastes
like bullfrog. DIR. A. X. Fisher and
others of the expedition ate several
specimens of this kind, lacking other
meat, and found them good. The In
dams of that region depend to q con-
siderable extent for food upon the
creature which they call s'chuck-
walla." They hook it out from clefts
in the rocks by means of a forked stick
or bit of wire. To catch it on the
run is out of the question. So active is
the animal that it is hard to get within
gunshot Of it. This remarkable lizard
subsists wholly on buds and flowers.
When cut open its stomach is usually
found to contain a good-sized bouquet
of yellow cassias, lotus blossoms and
salmon-colored mallows.
One of the most remarkable reptiles
xno1yn io tho ho,,,,o ,,o <k1ocnol>o 1N1,io
species was considered very rare up to
the time of the expedition, but its
name in Death valley is legion. In
fact, there are myriads of them there.
DR.. Merriam shot one and stepped for
ward to knock over another, when one
of his men cried, ''Look out! You are
standing on one" The doctor jumped
about sixteen feet. The serpent had
been tightly coiled up, but the doctor
had stepped SO squaraly upon it that
his weight had prevented it from strik
ing. The. snake is the smallest of all
rattlers. 1t is two feet long, all speci-
mems seeming to run about the same
size. It feeds on kangaroo rats and
pocket" mice, lying in wait for them
at the mouths of their holes. It is ex.
tremely vicious and it's bite is said to be
fatal, though this latter fact is doubted.
The horned rattlesnake is commonly
called the s'side winder," because when
disturbed it moves sidewise in order to
avoid turning tail. Another kind of
serpent very numerous in the valley is
the tiger rattlesnake. It is about three
and half feet long. Rattlers in the
west do not grow much bigger than
that, though there is different race
of them in Florida which attain a
length of ten feet. DR.. Fishers party
killed nineteen of these snakes during
walk of eight miles. They get their
name from their stripes. In the same
region another kind of serpent is
plentiful, which, though not venomous,
is very ill-tempered and will fight like
anything. lis of larger size, measur
ing about four feet, and is cream col.
ored, with black rings, and very thick
in the body.
Among the most curious creatures of
that strange region are the horned
toads, which are found in great nnm-
bers everywhere. They are peculiarly
desert animals, their hideousness MAX
ing them appropriate to their surround
ings They live on hard-shelled beetles
and other insects. One of the oldest
things about them is their mode of
combat with one another. They fight
like bulls, putting their heads down
and butting. Apparently, they make
no effort to hurt each other, but each
tries to turn his adversary over. The
one that is finally upset goes away at
once, Inundated, and hides itself. The
purpose of the contest seems merely to
be to injure the pride of the opponent.
The popular belief that these batra-
chians squirt blood out of their eyes
when they are angry has long been re-
garded as an absurdity. Certainly it
has never been credited by science un-
til now. But that this is true has re.
Gently been proved by experiments.
One of the horned toads brought to
Washington was thrown into water
which Immediately became Redeemed.
On being irritated, the animal dis
charged from each eye a squirt OF
blood to a distance of fifteen inches.
1t was estimated that the quantity
emitted was not lessthan quarter OF
a teaspoonful. The test was not
deemed wholly satisfactory until it had
been demonstrated by microscopic
examination that the substance was
actually blood. Presumably this
squirting of gore is intended to
brighten an enemy. AS provision fol
such a purpose it is unquestionably
unique.
Not less remarkable are the peculiar
desert toads of Death valley, which are
found buried in the clay soil and actu-
ally baked in the solid ground, SO that
they have to be split out. Thus they
remain for a year or two together.
When q shower comes-a very rare
occurrence in that country-the clay
is softened, and they crawl out tc
enjoy themselves for few hours.
After day or so the ground dries up,
and they hastily dig into it and retire
for another long period of repose. 1t
is not difficult to imagine the harden
ing of the soil into permanent rock,
from which these creatures might be
split out millennium hence, as is said
to have happened with toads similarly
buried centuries ago. When they dc
eat, these toads of the desert feed on
insects, like others of their kind.
Death valley is the greatest congre-
eating place on the earth of scorpions.
They are found there by millions, grow.
ing to huge size. Quite number
were captured, put into alcohol and
brought back to Washington by
the expedition. They were handed
over to DR.. Marx, of the depart
ment of agriculture, who is the
greatest authority in this country on
arachnids. He showed one Of them to
the Star man yesterday, measuring it
with foot rule. It was exactly four
and q half inches long. These fierce
creatures are not seen in the day time,
being nocturnal IN their habits. How
ever, when pulling up bushes for fire.
wood they were apt to be found among