The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-17
FIERCE CAlMANS OF CUBA.
BIG, CUNNING sAURIASs THATATTACk
HUMAN BEINGS.

skill Of the Cuban Divers-Methods OF
Shaving the Creatures Interesting Liz
ards-Powerfui Constriotors Among the
Snnkes-Curious Frogs. Toads and Turtles
GUANTANAMO, Cuba, Nov. rs Cuba pos
sessos many reptiles of it's own that are not indi-
genous to the North American continent Chicf
among these is the camhn or crocodile, which
must take rank above all others In the island
az to size fcrOcty, numbers and strength. VIC
have n counterpart Ui the cniman IN our own
land the Florida alligator, but the latter is by
no means Il worthy compccr Of the former. Tor
the cainan grows larger, IL il ugly and ferocious
by nature, ii assaults instead Of waiting to DO
assaulted. and once in fight II never knows
when th quit The main differences between
,ha Florida alligator and the Cuban crocodile
ere the following Aside from its superior size
the crocodile Is more 1cAiby built than the alli-
,.ator IL is more crafty and cunning and 1t Is
keencr eyed in pursuit Of its prey; 1t prefers fight
tof hight Is more pugnacious, liz a better swimmer
and its appetite runs TO bloody things; that is,
dogs cats and hogs are It's favoritc morscls; next
II takes anything eatablc down 90 its own kind
turtles and Ash when II can get nothing else. and
II will attack Cuban child OF human swimmer
when opportunity offers Thchsnd ofthc caiman
is larger and narrower than that Of the alligator
and the teeth fewer and winter and are evidently
nW inltnuen iOI IDf us Iulc INC
.aurian when possible swallows its prey en-
,irciy. The two lower front tusks ~ into holes
in the upper jaw a feature absent in the alligator
and all tho teeth IRE mere shells; hollow but with
embryo crowns ut the base so that 0s the saurian
Increases in size and ngc his teeth do not grow
with him but the shells drop off. and newer
and larger teeth take their place.
The caimGn has great speed in the water the tail
being one Of the best propcllcrs with which any
marine creature is equipped Then the feet are
webbed. by means OF which II can gently paddle
itself along, its course through the water,
when IL wills, being marked with the silence
Of duck Ithas throat valve which eIectually
prevents the water from running into its stomach
~ that It can remain beneath tho surface for a
considerable time, and in this way 1t will watch
for hours for birds or anything else that may
chance to swim above IL Hrrons, water. fowl,
and other creatures suddenly dragged down
ward and an animal OF human being attempting
10 cross a Cuban strcam OF lagoon by swimming
is in danger OF falling victim TO the crafty rep
tile whose mAnpuvrcs and marvellous cunning
ore on par with those Of the sly fox
The nest Of the caiman differs from that of the
American allig ator in that the home Of the latter
Is built cones or piles Of trash and the eggs
left to hatch in the sun, while the caiman's homo
resembles the nest OF the turtle. the eggs bcing
with sand. The eggs are long and narrow soft
and pliablc, without shell and having instead q
tough, ibrc-like skin The eggs number from
fifteen to forty in q single nest.
Quite trade has sprung up in the reptiles
hide and teeth. Two methods employed in
capturing the caiman one by diving, the other by
calling. As divers, the Cuban water-men
ore perhaps unrquallcd The whole shore
population numbers not many thousands. and
every individual, from infancy 10 maturity, is a
swimmer and diver Of skill. A single instance
will illustrate how maTvelously expert these
natives have become by lifelong practice in the
matter of water athletics, Near the Isle Of Pines
a large steamer lay close to the shore one day.
II drew perhaps, thirty feat OF water, and the
passengers amused themselves by dropping coins
into the ocean for the native boys TO dive after
The arrangement was that boy should stand
the side rail Of the ship at the level Of the upper
deck. and some one would drop a coin into the
water from the opposite side. Boy and coin
would go together and the former after
passing beneath the keel OF the ship would cap
ture the coin the opposite side before il reached
the bottom Such was the dcSterity shown that
rarely would the swimmer come TO the surface
without the piece Of money in his possession
BY such experts Is the caiman hunted In its own
element Armed with only a sharp keen knife
the hunter punges fearlessly into the dark waters
Of the swamp or river nd boldly seeks the hiding
place OF the reptile. The caiman may be wal
lowing in the mud Of the bottom may be on
the watch in tho clearer waters Of q river when
II II suddenly made aware that some one is seek
ing its whereabouts Up II comes TO the sur.
face, the man does likewise and the boasts huge
Jaws widely distrndcd for purposes Of attack !
The powerful tail IS useless in water offensive
m he ID 81
BY quick thrust by the hunter the jaws are
pinned apart by the upright wedge, and the next
the knife Is plunged to the hilt FIRST into eye
and then into the other The furnishings and
the hunter who is as much at home in the watsry
element as hr is on land The carca,s Is then
aosted 70 the shore and the pursuit of another
The method by calling is to initiate with tho
voice the grunts of the mAe or the female saurisn
home nest The mmiciy Is 50 accurate s ,Tap
sometimes som lines large nHmbe's are captured in day
be concealed at the same Time in some cave tie
little creatures respond promptly TO the calls, and
pour forth IN 10, haste 70 see who the caller may
be The faithful mother usually follows her
offspring. md 80 falls victim to her maternal
anxiety These hunters often cause a female
by initiating the frightened cries Of her young.
or lure decep, old bull from his retreat by sound
The danger 10 he feared ,o ns if hs Canaan lie.
in its extreme aggressiveness Not long ago
some nauvr children were bathing al the foot
of hill near large village AT place where
crocodlles had never been before. when
. loud scream and scampering Of little naked
brown bodies, proclaimed that some catastrophe
had taken place The writer was sitting in
por'ico ., the time, in full view Of tho
scene and hastily Selling a revolver ran To
Me spot a lnrge cainan had caught a little
fellow lust in the act II diving, and with one
snap Of the huge jaws had taken the chds head
Oh An ugly monster II was, measuring nearly
ten feet from tip Of nose 10 end O tail and its back
was covered with ridges almost as tough as armor
plate number ~ bullets fired into the cyeJ
and soft parts uf the neck soon despatched tho
caiman II had probably come into the little
creek during an overflow, and when tao waters !
rcccicd IT had been stranded, for no others II
us KIND had ever been seen in the ncighborhuod
Another recent experience was that Of an over
land mail courier who. after starting on his Jour.
hcy across the country, never heard Of after
ward Remnants Of his clothing aud the torn
mail sack were picked up along the Csuto River |
hut OF horse or rider no trace ever discovered
ana his late according ~ undnubtcd Indications ,
was eaten by crUcodileS
me taulo IL a deep, toTtuous stream winding !
IN and out OF the mountains through wild ChnonS
and lr&urAnt valleys, and often penetrating
dense lungles where civilized man has scarcely |
!ti ventgrcd The streams banks are covered
WIN tropical growth, waving bamboos, TALL palms |
ma h3tung maDgToves, almost cOncealing in |