The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-30
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seized the same fish, neither would lev
go, so the bigger one swallowed the fish
and his brother as we'll But he really
didn't intend it, for garter snakes are Ior
cannibals. In fact. very few snakes are.
OF course, there are exceptions.
In 1891 1 gave to the late DIR. Charles
Slower Allen a number of South Ameri-
can snakes. among which were cr.bo
and two young fer-de-lances born in my
collection at Port of Spain, Trinidad from
mother from the island of St. Lucia
They were already large enough to sead
a strong man to eternity by a single bite.
Now, DR.. Allen had a cage divided into
two parts by a wooden partition which
didn't reach quite to the top, but the
insterstice was so small that we both
concluded that the fer-de-lances could no.
crawl through.
You must be careful to keep them
apart" said |, "for the cribo is cannibal
in his tastes"
Accordingly he placed the cribo in one
division, and the two fer-de-lances in the
other. Now, be 1t remembered that the
former was a perfectly harmless snake,
and the latter most dreadfully venomous.
He left the cage well secured that eve
ming, so that there was no possibility of
their escape. Next day we visited them
together. but the fer-de-lances We're gone.
They had crawled through over the parti-
ton in to the apartment of the cribo, and
were both eaten up. The cribo looked
stouter than usual, and was evidently anx-
ious for more fer-de-lances, The words
repeat the dose" seemed written in his
hungry eyes.
That the black racer will eat other
snakes is perfectly true. He swallows as
many as he can catch. l have one caught
last Easter Sunday in the act of chasing
garter snake. The very same garter
snake has been since in his cage, but he
CIT A1trr oft,e
month or two, when he gets used to see
ing people near him, he will eat all he can
get. There is not the slightest doubt that
my large black one mentioned before,
would eat up all the rest of my collection
If he were allowed, barring such as are
too large to be swallowed. In fact he Is
very anxious to do so; and often tries to
get out of his cage when he sees a snake
in my hands. Since 1 caught him at Mont
clair, N. j., two years ago, he has prob
ably eaten more than fifty in all. l dare
not allow him in the cage with the copper
heads, for he would certainly treat them
as the cribo did the fer-de-lances.
Although snakes can fast so long, still
to keep them in health they ought to get
as much as they will eat every week or
ten days. Water they must have constant
ly, as they drink often. Their love for
milk is a myth. They frequently bathe
lying in the water for hours or days at a
time had boaconStrictor in Trinidad,
troubled by parasites, which she got rid
of by lying in her bath for ten consecutive
days, with only her nose above the water
Though I have probably $50 snakes dis
tributed through forty-five cages, still
they are not much trouble to keep. 1 feed
them once a week; give them drink twice
a week, and wash their cages inside and
out, every two weeks. They make no
noise. They have no odor. They can't
break out of their cages. Their beautiful
coloring, their quaint patterns, their
graceful movements, their strange ways,
are an abiding pleasure to observe; and not
to be weighed against the trouble of keep
ing them In health.
1t is much to be deplored that thought
less persons kill off such numbers of harm
less snakes, which, in their own domains
play most useful role in nature, destroy
ing pests. which, but for them. would IN
many localities be very troublesome IN
deed.