The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-25
MISTAKEN IDEAS
ABOUT SNAKES

itself instead of an enemy. But even
then death is not caused by an inJec-
ton of the poison-as may readily be
proved by an autopsy on the carcass of
such a suicide" The fact is that
the long fangs have penetrated some
vital spot, perhaps the heart, or the
lungs causing death exactly the same
as If the animal had been shot or stab
bed in a vulnerable spot.
Perhaps of all myths of snake land
none seems more absurd to a reptile
man than the one which attributes sem
timent or affection to one of these crea-
lures. Such a yarn is the one of the
dead snake who is visited at midnight
by its faithful mate. who coils about
the cold body and keeps a chill and
sorrowing watch. Observation both
in the field and in many reptile houses
and geological stations has never yet
shown that the snake is capable of any
feeling which we or the other warm
FLOODED creatures might interpret.
Neither toward their young nor toward
one another nor toward the keeper
who has fed and ministered to a snake
for years do the animals show the least
friendlness. A snake whose mate has
been killed hunts another companion
and makes no bones about it," A
poison snake with young knows that
for themselves, and pays little or no
attention to them. nor even remon-
strates when a pair of nippers enters
the cage and takes the young away,
one by one.
A remarkable myth in connection
with mother snakes and their babies is
that of the old ones swallowing their
young to protect them in times of dan
ger. That snakes swallow their young
In tfNNn Of do l.
well known fact. But the case has yet
to be recorded where the swallowed
babies ever saw the light of day again.
Nor is there any reason to suppose
that the young are eaten for any other
reason than that of satisfying the old
snakes cannibalistic- instinct: for it
would be simply impossible for young
snakes to survive in, the stomachs of
their parents for seven a reasonable
length of time. NJ iA
There is a reason why, persons cut
ting open a dead RATHER or another
viper find evidences. that seem to con-
clude that the reptile has just swallow
ed brood Of young to save it at least
temporarily from an enemy. All the
poisonous snakes bring forth their
young exactly as do the mammalia.
while only the non- poisonous snakes,
barring the cobra, lay eggs and hatch
their broods
The Snake Doctor.
At least one other prominent super
stition remains-that of the snake doc
tor or the darning needle. In many
parts of the country it is supposed that
this long, thin, fast flying insect how
ers and darts over swamps looking for
sick snakes. This is purely an absurd
ity. Frequently these insects are found
in swamps that are entirely destitute
of reptiles of any sort. In the expert
ence of thousands of snake men who
have spent years of their lives hunting
and studying snakes none ever has
recorded that the supposed snake doc
tor has anything at all to do with the
lives of the reptiles. More, the snakes
seem to brighten this insect just as
they startle most other creatures. and
there is every reason to believe that
the supposed doctor" does not even
serve them as food.
Scores and scores of other absurd
myths there are-many of them too TN
reasonable to mention as: That no
snake dies until the sun sets. Snakes
killed, it is true, will twitch their tails
when an object is brought into contact
with them. But as near as human in
tel1igence will ever be able to gauge.
the movement is purely spasmodic;
nor has it anything to do with the DO
sition of the sun. For several hours
after reptile of this species has been
killed this movement is noticeable.
Then it ceases. irrespective of sun or
cloud