New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-05
SNAKES SWALLOW THEIR fOi w
SOME STORIES ILLUSTRATING THE HABIT
IN DIFFERENT SPECIES

IN DIFFERENT SPECIES
From Forest and Stream.
There has been a controversy for years among
naturalists relative to the question: DO SNAKES
swallow their young? ana there are NAM pt
fossors Of herpctOlogy at the present DAY WIN
rdiculo the idea. have been cognIZaht OF inc
fact for over fifty years. when BOY nesan
nv studies in herpetology. and was not satSi'eu
with knowing the names OF our requires, pu'
e,upb, them i'm the fields and swamps ana Tor
ests | learned much Of their habits. ana iror
time To time kept them in confinement anu ia
reared MANY Professor g. Brown Tooue, Oh
the Smithsonian Institution. read very inter
esting paper on the subject before the AMER
can Association for the Advancement OF ocIehIe
at Portland Me. in August 1910 WHO" "ue"'
To have settled the question.
The first time this came under my hou'c was
in July 1880 ! was roaming over the heids
when | saw "A good sized garter snake 'f'u''n'a
srtaIis) very near me. with numerous y'u,'S
ones around her. As | approached her shc
nIaced her head flat on the ground, opening her
mouth and making a peculiar noise lhe 'iC'i'
ones evidently understood. for they an ran
into her orsophagus picked her up ny 'ho ne,h
and nut her in a bag and took her nome oh eA-
animation ! found had about twenty shakes
including the mother. They were kept uosr'nat
in a box and when told the story To my frlenhS
they rdculed me II was not long, however, oe
fore very person in the house was convinced oI
the truth Of my assertions. from witnessing the
fact themselves 49,
| came across a male and female striped SNAKE.
with numerous young ones. The parents were
near each other the family crawling over anu
around them. | was going for them when' on
second thought | concluded To watch them
They did not appear frightened. but went on
gambollng about for som" time. went l'ue
nearer when both snakes turned toward me
making a faint noise placed their heads nat OH
the ground and received the young as stated oe-
fore II WAS a curious sight to see these young
snakes not long born. some OF them toot OF
ta.o away turn at the noise. and instantly seek
, refuge. | am certain it was a note ~ warning
Of danger / caught both snakes and put them
in separate bags. The female had ten young
and the male had swallowed hNe ms II the
first instance Of any notice Of "A male snake per
forming this affectonate duty for its young l
placed the whole family in box, Wher' they
lived peaceably for long time.
MIR. Julian Hooper and myself encouhteIeh d
large water snake 90. spedon) on the banks OF
"A small pond i'm Durham swamp. was ABOUT
To capture her. when saw number 81 young
entering her mouth. and before ! could strike
her she entered the pond. Immediately swept
the pond with my net. and in two or three NM
utes captured her but On examination could ma
no young She had evidently in that short space
Of time Deposited them under some tusSock IN
the bank out Of harms way. What instinct Tor
tine preservation of her young
have also the Eutenia Saurita. Tctero-
don platyrhinos. and the Crutalus horrida per
form this act for their young. Some rattlesnakes
kept i'm confinement frequently did the same
with their progeny when frightened. The beat
ing Of "A drum near the case seemed to terrlty
the old ones. that AT the first tap they would
sccrcte the young in the Tsophagus and vibrate
their tails furiousy. and they would not release
the little till the noise ceased. | could re-
late numerous instances have seen when differ
ent species Of snakes have thus protected their
Young