The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-04-13
TALL. SNAKE STORIES
Some Curious Revelations BY a Rep
lillian Expert.
SOxE SNAKES EAT EACH OTHER
CraWlers That Possess But Little Brain
Power and Are Very Tenacious of
Life-BeneflciaI to Farmers.

"a snake has no means for separating
flesh from bones and feathers" said an
expert to a reporter for the Washington
Star. sit swallows its prey alive. The
latter usually dies of suffOcation. In the
process of deglutitiOn the breathing of the
serpent IS interfered with, so that after per-
forming it the reptile yawns widely in or
der to take in air. Sometimes at this NOM
ent the victim, though already on its way
to the stomach of its devOurer, has been
known to about and crawl out again in
safety, effecting its escape.
''When two snakes are in cage together
and both get hold of the same frog or rat,
they will advance upon it until their heads
meet, when one of them will proceed to
swallow the other. Keepers OF Serpents at
geological gardens have constantly to be
on the lookout for such accidents. 1 have
known one valuable reptile to be rescued
after several feet of him had been consum-
ed. When discovered in this predicament
only foot of his tail stuck out of the
mouth of comrade.
'sCannibalism is very common in snakes.
A box of imported serpents labeled 80
eobras' or 81 vipers' will often be found
short in the number on this account 1t is
q curious fact that these reptiles, as rule,
seize animals bigger than themselves. The
structure of their ribs permits great expan-
sion of the body, and a snake Of superior
size is disposed Of by do ubling up in the
stomach.
sit is often asked what these crawling
creatures are good for. For one thing,
they are able to penetrate where no larger
carnivorous animal could venture, into
dense and noisome molasses, boys, j ungles
and swamps, amid the tangled vegetation
Of the tropics, where they feed on swarms
of smaller reptiles. The hedhOg, weasel,
at, peccary. badger, hog, goat and many
kinds of birds keep snakes within due Ii
mits as 60 numbers, while the latter devOur
innumerable lesser vermin. Thus the bal
ance of nature is maintained.
"Snakes have small brains. slight intel
ligOnce and little SensibilIty to pain. They
can live for long time deprived of their
vital organs, while the heart, if taken
from the BODY, will continue to beat for a
considerable time. If the head be served
it will try to bite, while the body will con-
tinus to move, coil and even spring.
''Many Serpents which do not live in
trees will climb them in search of birds
eggs. They do much damage in poultry
yards. When once the eggs are missed
from hens nest and a snakes track is
discovered the farmer knows that the thief
will repeat the Offense, so a watch is set
and no mercy is shown to the culprit when
caught.
"On the other hand, snakes are of i'm
portant use to agriculture by consuming
the mice that devOur the crops. Snake
catchels who pack serpents for transporta-
ton across the ocean commonly supply
them with food for the journey in the
shape of eggs.
"There is a Northumberland story of
cobra that got through q chink in hen
house and ate so many eggs from under a
sitting foul that it could not get out again
through the same crack. Next morning it
was killed and cut open, when, as the eggs
were found to be unbroken and still warm,
the experiment was tried of replacing them
under the mother, who, in due time, hatch
ed out the brood none the worse for this re-
markable accident.
"Black snakes, though not veuomOus,
are killed by farmers wherever found, be-
cause of the havoc they make In poultry
yards. This kind of serpent climbs trees
with ease and has been described as the
'nimblest creature living There is one
very extraordinary serpent called the 'ano-
don,' whose business, according to Profess
sor Owen, is to restrain the undue increase
of small birds by deyouring their eggs.
Far back in its throat 1t has certain projec-
tons which serve as teeth, though, in real
ity, they are points of the spine projecting
into the gullet-'