The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-31
. HUNGRY SNAKES.
THEY WOULD RATHER EAT THAN
SLEEP-SLEEP THAN MOVE.

FROM new AOfk COnneICidl AuhSt tisSl'
"A snakes only strong passion is his
greediness," said Raymond T. Ditmars.
who sat surrounded by snakes and other
curious reptiles in the den or study Of
his house al 1866 Bathgate avenue. The
reptiles inhabit boxes behind glass cases
in the room where MIR. Ditmsrs passes
most of his leisure hours.
Snakes VIII eat" said Mr.. Ditmars. IF
they can find the food, until there is no
space left in them. They have no senti-
ment, no sociability. They prefer to be
alone. They have none of the gayety
which distinguishes most animals. They
only strive to stretch their stomachs with
some enormous animal or hang around
lazy and sleepy. half dead for months.
They are so greedy that they often
strike at their own shadow thinking
them to be food. But many are particular
about the kind of food. Some will eat moth
ing but toads, some are cannibals and win
eat only their brothers and sisters. The
milk snakes are cannibals. but many of
them will eat other things"
Here Mr.. Dittmars took a pretty little
white mouse and put it into the cage of a
snake of the milk family, whose neck was
not one-third the size of the mouse. The
snake had been fasting for some time,
but was sleepy, and-a rare thing-struck
three times a the tame little mouse before
hitting it, This snake is not a poisonous
snake, whose strike would have been
quicker and surer. But on the third trial
the beautiful little reptile seized the beau
uful little mouse by its tail, and then,
more quickly than anything, however
speedy, the snakes body assembled the
houses form from the tail to the head in
vibrating folds, like a radating wave
Each fold fitted exactly TO the last There
was no mouse" spaces between. Then
the snake paused and squeezed with noise
less power. The mouse merely gasped and
grew little pinker about the eyes. In
a moment It was quite dead. without hav-
ing gone through any of the disagreeable
symptoms of death.
But the snake was suspicious He let
60 the mouse's tail, arched his beautifully
curving neck and gradually, stealthily fol-
lowed the mouse's body, over his own
folds, up to the victims neck Then ne
paused for some time, watching for any
sign of life. Nothing" explained Mr.
Ditmars, "can exceed the caution of
do bite" Then the snake extended his
long neck beyond the snout of the mouse
and bending sharply. faced his victim
Now he was opposite the snout of the dead
mouse, the place where a snake always
begins to swallow, for in that way he gets
a certain kind of inclined plane effect. He
begins thus with comparatively little, and
so paves the way for the real job farther
down the animals body.
Quit La H., 4 l.
his fast with perfect safety, the reptile
opened its jaws as wide as possible and
engulfed the tip of the sonut. Then 1t
was apparent what job he had before
him. for the part of the mouse which he
was trying TO swallow doomed up three
times the size of the ambitious object
which was to do the swallowing, and far
Their down the mouses body were other
more formidable masses to overcome But
the snake approached his task with an
unpleasant voluptuousness. He didn't hur-
ry at all. only gently moved his tail with
epicurean anticipation. He didn't seem to
swallow; il was as if his jaws gradually
assembled the mouse. At first he did il
rather easily, but as he got higher he
got a little excited. Then he palpitated
and throbbed, but still with remarkable
Quietness, considering the apparently inn
possible job he was contracting. 1t took
IL,
was over he was a good deal larger than
before, and there were prominent lumps
In his body. He couldn't have got any
taste from the performance, for the
mouse was covered with fur, and the
snake didn't bite at all. 1t must have
been the pure activity that he liked
something of the same joy that the foot
ball player feels when every muscle of
his body is straining toward the goal
foot Ia,1I
END The snake, on the other hand, SEEM
ed to have grown more active by his ex-
ertions. He literally flew about the cage.
jumping at shadows, or anything else
which suggested more prey. For the first
time in months he was really aroused.
The virus was. in his blood and he longed
for more.
Snakes said MIR. Ditmars, ARE always
hungrier just after eating. But when di-
gestion begins they get sleepy. That snake
after few hours will enjoy a profound
and perfect repose"
Leaving the frisky little reptile Mr.
Ditmars next showed the visitor a number
of formidable or beautiful ratllespaLes
copperheads, garter snakes, ribbon-snakes
and other varieties many of them with
names longer than themselves. Some Of
them were lovely in color-rich, deep car
nelian tints. The movements of the little
as
those of cat. They dart at their nrev
like lightning, as a cat does at a mouse
You will notice. said Mr. Ditmars
that our little friend, the milk snake. has
got away with the mouse Sometimes
however, he and his kind find themselves
stuck when they get the prey halfway
down. Then they disgorge 1t, and begin
over again. The part already slimed over
serves as kind of slide, and impetus Is
thus obtained, and the operation facili.
tated
Among the other snakes is a blowins
adder which has eaten nothing since DC
tober. He eats only toads. and will wal
until May for his next dinner He is :
little thin and hattened out now, and vii
get thinner before May. But he is hal
asleep all the time. does not exercise a
think, wastes almost nothing The stres,
OF life Is so slight with this snake that h,
will undoubtedly live hundred years. bar
ring accidents, on about twelve toads :
year. He is a modest eater, and vii
succeed in stretching out his thin life [,
the uttermost. When poked he does no
move, though " poked very hard he wi
hiss In a gutteral, mechanical way. lie
me sleep he protests, In Fafnerian fash
ion.
Some snakes. the poisonous ones, ewal
-. a.