The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-28
WHEN WINTER SLEEP IS OVER.
Beasts and snakes Usually Awake
With Raven0us ApDetites.

From the Philadelphia Times.
The squirrels. wo1Ic1ucks. and bears are
the first animals CD revive in the spring,
and they emerge from their winter quar-
ters hungry and ferlci0us. When just COM
ing from his hole the bear is so starved
that he viii attack half a dozen men al
sight, and his appetite is equal 10 that of
two ordinary bears In summer The wood
chucks and raccoons become so fierce un-
der the pangs of starvation that a flock
Of them have been known to attack hum
tiers with all the ferocity of wildcats. The
squirrels eXperience the same semi-star-
walton after their long sleep, and in the
park, as we'll as in the woods and for
ests, they are bold enough to approach
close to the visitor and either beg or fight
LOT something to eat Carry few nuts
with you at this time of the year into
the park and throw them around TO the
squirrels, and they VIII follow you 10 the
very edge Of the park.
The reptiles come 70 life IN April and be-
gin 70 move at first sIuggishly about but
as they become thoroughly awake their
presence is menace 10 the life Of birds
insects, and other animals. For months
they nave been without anything 10 eat
and they are ready to gorge themselves
with anything from a tumbieDug 10 q good
sized rat. il is dangerous to meet snakes
early IN the spring, when the warm sun
is giving Them a new lease of life They
are then out in search Of a good meal
II lnterfered with they will turn upon
their pursuer and show fight. Large black
snakes VIII display all the lighting quail
tles OF the rattlesnake, and while unable
70 10 much harm, they can fr.ghten the
me out OF most people by winding their
colls around the legs or body and Missing
saXagely into the very face.
The snakes are so hungry that they will
frequently attack creatures larger than
they can swallow and kill themselves IN
Iylns 10 force the meal down their
throat Small blacksnakes will attempt
10 swallow toads twice as big as their
own body and strange themselves 10
found early in the season, the snakes
VIII wage war upon their own kind. Two
reptues VIII meet I'm some secluded spot
Doth mad and disappointed at not finding
any breakfast, and their beady eyes viii
glitter saVagely for moment Then
they viii begin to coil and squirm around
each watching closely the movements OF
me enemy's open mouth until one takes
i 1ne oLher AZ disadvantage and closes
upon him. The teeth are buried in the soft
throat, and, after a short struggle the
unfortunate reptile expires Then the
work OF swallowing the dead snake be-
gins. commencing with the tail, the
hungry snake slowly sucks the wriggling
small end down his throat his ewes
cleaning with satisfaction and pleasure
but before the operation is over a look
OF agony enters the face For the first
time the reptile realizes that he has un-
dertaken too much, and there is no help
LOT MN, except TO dlsgorge, or TO CON
unue swallowing The latter process is
continued until every muscle is strained
abnormally and every square inch OF the
stomach is occupied. Then the work must
cease. The big dinner must be thrown
up or death VIII follow
In most cases the snake expires in the
greatest agony, with the body of the
smaller reptile half in his stomach and
the other half sticking out Some times
L is merely a toad that kills the snake
Many small blacksnakes are killed in the
spring of the year by trying TO swallow
toads bigger than themselves.
The insects and flies come back to life
later than the reptiles. Then 1t is that
the Jersey mosquito awakens TO its activ-
ity and the land Is swarming with these
pests. The snails and tortoises revive
about the same time and also the bats.
All of these creatures depend upon in
sects for food, and if they should awaken
Grasshoppers and crickets do no appear
from their holes In the ground until sum
mer Is pretty well here.
The Information of these creatures ap-
proacheS as near to complete suspended
animation as anything, and scientists in
terested in this subject have gone to the
animals to get information on the ques-
ton Of suspended animation. The ami
mails, however. have only some of their
functions suspended. Respiration is al
most entirely suspended; but the heart
has a slight action. During very old win
ters many Of the animals die while hi
bernating, for they cannot stand any
amount of cold. In order to keep each
other partly warm through the winter,
they congregate together. Bats hibernate
in some dark cave or old barn in great
punches, generally suspending themselves
from the roof like a bunch of bananas.
In very cold winters those on the outside
of the bunch freeze to death, while those
in the center are untouched by the cold.
Snakes likewise coil together in big balls,
winding and twining around each other
in O most intricate way. Both the poi
sOnOus and nOn-poisonous varieties coil
together for their winter Information, but
when spring opens the non-poisonous
snakes are apt to be the first to get away
from their dangerous neighbors and seek
excavated in the winter time could be
rolled about and kicked by a child with
impunity. Even the ends of the tails
could be snapped off without arousng the
anger of the torpid creatures.