The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-12
VIPER GROUPS OF AMERICA
Copperheads and Moccasins Among
the Most Dangerous.
a Specimen Recently Caught n Few
Miles From the Capitnl-ilI of the
Various Families of Crawling Rep
tiles Possess CannibaI Instincts

| n Specimen Recently Caught n Few
Miles From the Capitnl-iI of the
| Various Families of Crawling Rep
tiles Possess CannibaI Instincts.
A unique specimen of a copperhead
! snake, caught a few miles from Wash
ington, has been received at the National
| Museum. The differences noticeable in the
snake from others of its species consist
in the peculiar colors and markings, al
though. as Prof Leonhard Styneger, OF
the Smithsonian Institution, says the
colors of the copperhead are known to
vary according to it's age and the locality
| which it inhabits-
The copperhead is the only member of
the pit viper family of serpents which Is
found in localities adjacent TO this city.
| To this group belong nearly all the pois-
| onous snakes of this country. The term
pit viper originates from the pit, or cav
| ity, found just above the mouth in these
snakes. This pit sinks deep into the maxil-
| larry bone and represents q blind sac
| lined with epidermis. which, not being con-
| nected with any of the other cavities or
organs in the head by any inside opening
| or canal, forms a puzzle to scientists.
When the earlier biologists came to ex-
| anime this peculiar structure they tried
4
known, some limiting at the closed nostriis
of fishes. while others pointed out its sim
| ilarity, in position. at least. to the tear
sacs'' of the deer. 1t was urged also that
| it might have some connection with the
poison apparatus. None of the explana-
! lions has been accepted as satisfactory.
| however, and so scientists have still to be
| content with referring to the pits as ''mys-
| FERROUS" They serve the purpose to the
| practical, however. of distinguishing the
| poisonous from the non-posonous varie-
ties of serpents
| When questioned concerning his opinion
| of the reason for the pit, Prof. Styneger
\ replied: 1T possibly may indicate the pos
! session by these snakes of sixth sense.
I The existence of such a supplementary in
telligence has been proved, you know. in
some animals, as the lateral line in fishes.
for instance. and while, in the case of the
pit viper the purpose of such organ
has not been determined, 1t is now the
general opinion that the pit indicates its
! presence"
To the pit vipers belong the rattle
snake. moccasins. copperheads. etc. One
of the most dangerous IS the water moe
casin, of which there are some notable
specimens at the Zoo. This snake feeds
on fishes, and it is quite a spectacle to
watch it at its meals. In the case of the
water moocasiEs at the Zoo is a large
| basin of water, in which there are a num-
Der of minnows. When the reptile is
hungry it goes for these unfortunate
little creatures in a way that positively
makes one dizzy to contemplate. 1t seems
| to dart in all directions at once and either
| bolts" the fish or dashes them outside
the basin. where they soon die on the
! sandy floor. 1t takes the snake about
| thirty seconds to dispose. III this way, of
as many fish 1t is said that the water
moccasin is one of those creatures which
! become tame, and even amiable, i'll cap
tivity. but the keeper at the Zoo affirns
| that he is not DESTROYS Of testing the
| friendliness of its disposition by any over
| lures on his part An attempt was made
a short time ago to place it in a favor
| able position for taking its Photograph.
| on which occasion the reptile struck at
the keepers rod again and again. and
| IL was found necessary to desist from
| further efforts for fear the snake would
| injure its mouth in its fury.
The water moceasin. which is denizen
| of the Southeastern States. must not be
| COMPOUNDED with the true moccasin, an
1 innocuous snake. which 1T somewhat re-
| sembles, and whose only bad trait is a
propensity to devour its mate, should both
! happen to be imprisoned together in the
same cage. 1t is well known. however.
that all serpentS are cannibals, ana two
| have been known. while devouring the
same piece of food. to encounter each
other, at the conclusion of their meal
when the larger proceeded to make
dessert of the smaller.
1t is occasionally suggested that prem
| ium per head or rattle be paid by the
! Government for the determination of the
dangerous snakes. but 1t has been shown
that there are but few localities in this
country in which the really dangerous
! snakes are numerous enough TO render
| even an. experiment with bounty desira-
BILE. 1t has been tried and is still in vogue
/ in india, where large sums are paid an
nually to snake destroyers. but without
sensibly diminishing the fearful mortality
resulting from snake bites in that coun-
try. Even in the little island of Mar
/ Unique it appears to have had little eff
| feet in decreasing the number of the dead
! ly "fer-de-iacce.' probably the most dan
! gerous of all serpents, while 1t undoubt-
/ eddy has led to an increase in the death
| roll Of the population. The inhabitants of
Martinique have tried various means of
Kidding themselves of the presence OF this
dreadful reptile. They tried the hog, so
effectual in the case of the rattlesnake,
with the result of great mortality among
the hogs. Their last experiment was the
importation of a number of that little
ferret-Iil1e animal from the East indies.
called the mOngoose. The mongoose sue
cessfully combats the deadly cobra, but,
as a traveller observed, the attack of a
| cobra is one thing and that of the fer-de-
lance-which wastes no time in fooling
about cn end. but lets out at once-quite
another" and tn mongoose has taken
no active steps toward the determination
| of the fer-de-lance.
| All the. American snakes with the excep-
! ton of the coral. belong to the so-called
wiper" group. as distinguished from the
| ''elapines," the other great family of
serpents, in which are included all the
! Asiatic varieties. The fangs of the vipers
are attached to the foTe-end of what may
| be termed the jawbone. or maXillary, in
! the hollow of which is contained the
poison sac, the contents of which are
emitted through a hollow or groove in
the fangs. At right angles with the jaw
bone, and attached TO the palate by means
of certain muscles, is a narrow bone
called the transpalatine. Normally, the
fangs lie fiat back against the palate,
but when the snakes prepares to strike. a
contraction of the muscles of the trans
palatine pushes the latter against the
maxillary. which, being movable, re-
wolves through about quarter OF cir
Gle. carrying the fangs with it, until they
are erected perpendiculariy to the roof
of the mouth. The swapping of the jaws
is necessary for the infection of the ven
ON, and so violently is the act sometimes
performed that ;he snakes fang has been
found broken off in the wound, in the
reptiles attempt to eXtricate its jaws from
the Gesh.
PUZZLED THE LIBRARIAN