The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-19
Snakes SWALLOW THEIR YOUNG.
Contribution TO Controversy
Among Naturalists.

Among NaturaIists.
From Forest and Stream
There has been controversy for years
among naturaAsts relative to the question:
DO snakes swallow their young? and there
are many professors Of herpetology at the
present day who ridicule the idea. have
been cognizant of the fact for over fifty
years. When a boy I began my studies
in herpetology, and was not satisfied with
knowing the names Of our reptiles, but
sought them in the fields and swamps and
forests. l learned much of their habits,
and from time to time kept them in con-
dnement and have reared many. Prof. G.
Brown Goode of the Smithsonian Institu-
ton read a very interesting paper on the
subject before the American Association
for the Advancement of Science at Port
land. Ne, August. 1873, which ought to
have settled the question.
The first time this came under my notice
was in July 1880. | was roaming over
the fields. when l saw good-sized garter
snake Guiana srIalis) very near me,
with numerous young ones around her
As l approached her she placed her head
fiat on the ground, opening her mouth
and making peculiar noise, the little ones
evidently understood, for they all ran
into her esOphagus. I picked her up by
the neck and put her in a bag and took
her home. On examination, found had
about twenty snakes, including the mother
They were kept together in a box, and
when l told the story TO my friends they
ridiculed me II was not long. however,
before every person in the house was con-
WINGED Of the truth of my assertions, from
witnessing the fact themselves.
l met with a curious incident some
years ago, While hunting snakes in the
swamps at Melrose / came across a
male and female striped snake, with nu-
merous young ones. The parents were
near each other, The family crawling over
and around them. | was going for them
when, on second thought. l concluded to
watch them. They did not appear fright
ened, but went on gamboling about for
some time | went little nearer when
both snakes turned toward me- making
faint noise, placed their heads fiat on the
ground and received the young as stated
before. Ii was a curious sight to see
these young snakes not long born, some
of them a foot or two away, turn at the
noise, and instantly seek refuge l am
certain it was a note Of warning of dan
ger, | caught both snakes and put them
in separate bags. The female had ten
young and the male had swallowed five.
This is the first instance of any notice
of male snake performing this affec-
tiOnate duty for les young. | placed the
whole family in a box where they lived
peaceably for long time.
Julian Hooper and myself encountered
a large water snake &C. spedon) on the
banks of small pond in Durham swamp.
l was about TO capture her, when We saw
a number Of 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 minutes
captured her, but on examination could
find no young. She had evidently in thar
short space of time deposited them under
some tussock ia the bank out of harms
way. What instinct for the preservation
of her young!
have also seen the Eutoenia saurita,
Heterodon platyrhinos and the Crotalus
horrida perform this act for their young,
Some rattlesnakes kept in confinement fire.
quently did the same thing with their pro-
geny when frightened The beating of a
drum near the case seemed to tePrify the
old ones, so that a the first tap they
would secrete the young in the esophagus,
and vibrate their tails furiously, and they
would not release the little ones till the
noise ceased. l could relate numerous in
stances / have seen when different spe-
cies of snakes have thus protected their
young
Certainly those who do not believe the
fact must be closet naturalsts and not
! students of nature The fact is known TO
every farmers boy of an inquring mind.
1t Is only a few years ago | satisfied a
disbelieVer by showing him family of
young snakes in confinement bred by me.
When he had witnessed the act. he left
me firm believer. | was assured by a
Portuguese naturalist in Rio that ne had
seen number of the water snakes swal-
low their young, also boa constructor.