The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-26
MAKING SNAKES PETS
Is Easy Enough If You Care
to and Know How.
IT is SOME THlN6 OF A FAD
For Amateur NaturaIistS With
Nothing Better TO Do.
T is SOME THlN6 OF A FAD

New York, Aug. 245.-Acquainted ny
recent exhibition, with thhe posslbllit,
of making household pets of snakes, anna
teur collectors. In greater number thai
ever before. have been whipping tn
Hackensack meadows for specimens, OF
the holidays OF this summer. The mos
fruitful territory within twenty-five mile.
of New York, according to ana entIus
iastic collector. lies, on the palisades
from Fort Lee to Taappaan, and between
the Hudson anad the Hackensack and Its
| tributaries. Snakes are found in many
other localities in the vicinity-even In
Greater New York; but a days search
in this section of the meadows Is never
altogether unprifitable. and here knowing
collectors spend most of their efforts
Snake catchers. It was said, may be Seen
there on any holiday, prying in swampy
places, turning over fiat stones and dead
logs. creeping up the brooks, stepping
softly with alaeart eyes and long forked
sticks ready.
'All you need to catch snakes" said
collector today, as the courage to with
stand the instinct against them; branch
five feet long, with a fork at the end,
spreading an inch and a half; aanda a
cotton bag or two to carry your speci-
mems in. Reach out quietly from behind
and get the fork directly over the tspeci-
mems neck: then press down quickly, but
gently. so as not to bruise or break, and
you have 1t tight Take 1t by the head,
holding its jaws closed; then you can
safely release it-for IL can not harm you
and drop 1t In your collecting bag. You
must be careful, quick and sure; and II
the specimens are large enough to hurt
when they bite, you must he firm and
courageous in every move If you wish to
avaoid an unpleasant sensation. There
is no real danger in the sport in this VI
cinity, for the venemous snakes are near
ly extinct; they are easily identified, at
any rate. and can be let alone.
''We collectors keep our specimens in
boxes-glass or pine, as we choose-with
a piece Of wire window screening over
the top. 1 keep an Indian rock python,
eighteen feet long and weighing $50
pounds, with but a f1imsy wire netting to
hold 1t In confinement. They will never
try to break out Of their cages; the i'm
portanat thing is to keep the boxes tight
IL you wanat to keep them in. for they
usually want to go through a hole If
they see one. Moist earth, rocks,
branches, ferns and moss, are kept in the
cages for the comfort and amusement
of the specimens. They like to stretch
out over the rocks, to hide in the moss,
and to Irvine themselves about the
branches. have fitted up one cage with
ladders, horizontal bars, trapeze and the
like, for some Of my small Snakes. I
call 1t their gymnasium; and their tricks
when they are lively Smuse the whole
family.
Garter snakes, the most easily domes-
ticated, IL such a word may be properly
used, need nothin gomre for food than
earth worms ;they like tadpoles better,
but they viii Thrive and grow fat on
worms. Frogs are good food for all the
varieties to be found aabout New York.
They may be soix times the size of the
specimens neck. 1t is important to keep
bowl Of fresh water in the box. Snakes |
drink good deal. and they get canker lin |
the mouth II they havae not enough |
water. Half the snakes in captivity die |
from that cause. It is ia, common COM
plant. but 1t can be cured by opening the |
snakaes mouth with a tooth pick and |
throwing little finely powdered borax in |
AS rule. the specimens may be kept in |
good health with common sense carae |
and not too much hanadaling. They will |
sleep from October until April; and they
can be disposed of for that time by put
ting them in the cellar in a box filled
with earth. We get very fond of our
specimens. and they get familiar with US,
but whether attached to us or not have
never been able to determine"
According to the collector who has es-
peclally interested himself in the snakes
OF this locality, only to venemous varie-
titles are to be found-rattle snakes and
copper heads. The latter have rarely
been heard of in years and by some col
lectors are held to be extinct. About
three weeks ago, however, according to
this same authority. a large specimen
was killed on the state line between New
York and New Jersey. on the Hudson,
by one Richter OF Fort Lee. Collectors
were much interested when this was au-
thenticated for it was the only one re.
orted on this side of Alpine Cabove which
one occasionally appears) in years. II is
asserted also that rattle snakes are near
y extinct within twenty-five miles of
New York. One was killed on the pal
sades by Thomas Jones of Nordhofr this
summer. 1t measured four feet. and had
but two rattles." The last previously
known to have been seen was killed
three years ago. 1t was a very large
specimen and had three rattles.
With the exception of these two "pit
vlpers.'' collector said. there are with
In fifty miles of the city no snakes which
could seriously injure human being"
The irgest Of the non-venemous varieties
to be found. he said, is the true black
snake. commonly known as the ''blue