The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-10
ATE THEIR COATS.
Interesting Proceedings Of Two Of the
Largest SNAKES in America.

4saAkthl SnHACG IN America.
From The Philadelphia Press.
The two large pythons which were inn
ported from India for the Geological gar
den have made themselves at home in
their now quarters. They are said 20 be
the largest reptiles in this country. and
naturally attract considerable attention.
They had only been here two weeks when
bolh snakes underwent a change. They
became droOpy, aud IL was seen that they
had begun TO shed their skins.
The shedding process is about at an end
now, but the manner in which the snakes
accomplished the greater part of the job
is wonderful. The largest python meas
ures sixteen feet and the other twelve.
They are males and have mouths like cell
lar doors that are filled with terrible
fangs. On Monday last the big snake,
which had eaten nothing for three weeks
because he was shedding his coat, got
move on himself and climbed one of the
small trees and coiled all around the
limbs. Then he rubbed his head aud
neck violently against the branches in
every direction, and gradually loOsened
the old cutilcle from around his head,
mouth and neck.
In the meantime the other snake was
not idle. 1t, too, COiled around the tree,
and, raising It's head, took hold of its big
brothers neck, and by careful manipula-
ton loosened the skin from the head and
neck for about a foot down. Then it took
hold of the loOsened skin, and the keeper
and spectators who were watching the
proceedings saw what was going TO hap
pen With its head and neck free, the
big snake could help in the shedding
operation, and it twisted around the tree
near the top and began to pull away from
the smaller snake at top speed Inch by
inch the old SKIN was released and the
bright colors of the new cuticle came in
view. 1t took nearly an hour to get
about half of the body free from the old
covering, and then both snakes rested.
The skin was pulled back just as one
would turn glove inside out, and gave
the reptile peculiar appearance.
When the snakes resumed their job
they employed different tactics. The
larger snake climbed higher and the
other made itself fast lower down the
tree. The smaller one took hold of the
skin and pulled for all it was worth, until
all of the covering, with the exception of
about two feet from the big snakes tail,
was loose
Then most wonderful thing happened.
The big snakes head was at the top of
the tree and he hadn't been paying much
attention TO the gOings on at the other end
of his body. When the smaller snake
stopped pulling, the big one looked down
and saw something was wrong His eyes
glistened, and reaching down he grabbed
a mouthful of his own covering and pro-
ceeded to finish the job. 1t was done with
dispatch and ease. The big snake seemed
proud Of his new suit and wriggled all
around the case and admired himself for
some time. Then to the establishment Of
the watchers the smaller snake climbed
the tree and went through the same
performance assisted by the larger one.
After both reptiles were free from the
old skins they made meal of them and
each drank about a gallon of water to
wash down the repast. The keepers say
it is no unusual thing for small snakes to
get rid Of their old skins in this way, but
they never heard of large snakes, like the
python or boa, doing it.