The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-26
FEEDING BIG SNAKES
1t Dangerous Work for Those Who Do Boa Constructors Re-
sent Being Forced to Eat-An Snakes Are Partcu-
= .s... ~ lar in Their Diet. -- 49,
| ficult matter to extract from this cage
one Of the snakes without exciting the
lar in Their Diet.

ficult matter to extract from this cage
one of the snakes without exciting the
others. -,
The greatest precautions have to be
taken by those conducting the food com
Polling operations. Under Professor Dit
mars, at the New York geological gardens,
are Assistants Charles Snyder, Frederick
Dahl and George stockdale. 1t is the
province of the first named assistant to
enter the python cage and throw blankets
over the heads OF the snakes which are not
to be fed. 80 ,~.. 81.
This task is by no means free from
great danger. Aside from the fact that
the snakes might envelop the man in
| their coils the man runs great risks from
bites. The bite of the python, anaconda
and others of this class is not poisonous,
but it is painful. So
Dodeins Python's Coils.
When the snakes have been covered. the
one to be fed is seized by the body just
back of the termination of the head. With
remarkably quick movement, the head
of the snake is then drawn from the cage.
AS soon as the snake has been pulled
from his cage he begins to resent the
treatment. His coils mount up with Won
derful rap1dity. At this point Assistants
Dahl and stockdale throw Intensely es upon
| the reptile and prevent him from con-
stricting. The greatest care has to be
taken in performing this task In order
not 10 let the snake get the folds of his
| body about any of the men.
They keep we'll without the terrible cir
cles by jumping over the snakes body
| whenever he gets them "in chancery," as
| it were. This often requires nimbleness
on the part of the assistants which would
| be almost laughable were it not so fraught
| with danger.
When the body of the snake has been
drawn entirely out Of the cage, from
| twelve to fifteen other men throw their
weight on the folds of the snake and COM
pei 1t to remain In a straight line.
Into the "Dining-room."
The snake is then carried out into
large room in the reptile house, where its
enforced meal awaits it. Usually meal
for one of the big anacondas or pythons
consists of five or six guinea pigs strung
| together. They have been killed and
soaked in water previous to the feeding
hour. The guinea pigs are attached to
long pole The jaws of the snake are
forced open, and this pole, with the pigs
throat. When the pole has passed down
about one-sixth of the. snakes length it
| is withdrawn minus the guinea pigs.
Up to this time the snake has offered
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seNem OH 'GIqIoIo1 JIesW!Q lIesse o. su!S
| -0Q 0u d0AoMOu MoN looAAO1oo ehotl
| -Ieq9L lsIg oql IoJ eABs 'eouels!seI oIl4II
| meal by a series of commissions which
would do justice to a skilled contortionist.
1t seems to an onlooker as if he were try
| ing to tie himself into various kinds Of
| knots, from a half hitch to a granny
| The fifteen men are swayed about as II
they were mere children. 1t requires all
their combined force to keep the reptile
straight. If once he is allowed to draw
himself into a tight coil all the feeding
has to be done over again.
After about five minutes of strenuous
!, effort to free himself from the grasp of
his captors, the snake finally seems to
reconsider his decision not to swallow
his food. One can observe the progress
of the guinea pigs down through the body
of the reptile in theaform of a great lump.
| When it has reached about half the length
it comes to standstill
The snake Is now taken back to the
cage The door In the rear Is cautiously
opened and the head Of the snake is
rapidly thrust in.g The rest of his body is
forced in after him, sand the door is closed
with sharp snap-sometimes Just in
time to prevent the other snakes from
darting out, for they have probably
crawled from underline blanket.