Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1905-09-07
TO CATCH A RATHER
SIMPLY STOOo AND PICK HIM UP
WITH YOUR HANDS.

Over ID aud the other Under II, and
IL VIII Not Move TO Gct Away.
Solae Facts About the Reptiles.
Here are some facts about suakes
given by II young man who has studied
trein since he was ten years old
The best way 10 catch n snake is to
simply stoop down and pick it up, as
you would toad or n turtle. Some.
times with a RATHER ii is as well to
put n stick on his head until you get
your hand on him. If the snake is
coiled, simply lay one hand over 1t and
the other under it, and the snake Will
not move to get away
There is n surer cure for snake bite
than any brand of whisky. Ii is strych-
mia sulphate, nitroglycerin and potas-
SUM permanganate, which may be
carried in tablet form and must be dis
solved in water and injected hypo.
dermically.
This young naturalist was without
his antidote the first time he was bitten
by RATHER. 1t was on the Mojave
desert, ana he was proving around
among some old prospect holes. Stoop-
ing down to pick up a piece of copper
ore lying at the mouth of hole lac
disturbed a big RATHER, and 1t struck
him. He placed ligatures ON his hand
and arm and started for camp. At the
first camp he got razor and bed his
finger as well as he could but It was
nine hours before he could get to his
medicine. The next day his whole side
was numb and stiff, and 1t was three
weeks before he entirely recovered
from the effects OF the poison. He had
not neglected however, to catch the
snake, and this became his special pet.
The lesson he learned was that a
quick movement in front of n rattler's
eyes is a most dangerous proceeding
and 1t will make Il snake strike quick
er than anything else, In handling
strange rattlesnakes he Is always n lit
tie careful and usually draws them
into his hand over his coat sleeve. A
caressing little pat ON the head seems
to have the same effect on snakes AS
on other animals.
After putting RATHER on the floor
of his room and teasing II, to make ii
coil and strike, this snake trainer pick
ed it up in his hand patted its head
and then pricd open the big mouth
with nail to show its fangs, seven
on each side, in different stages of
development, from one like pin
point to one the size of birds claw
The large fang is likely to drop out
at least once year, but If injured 1t
may be replaced three or four times
a year.
There is about the same danger
from the bite OF nonvenomous snake
as from the bite of dog or cat. 1t
may or may not be serious. All de-
ponds upon whether Il poisonous germ
Is transmitted and upon the condition
| Of the blood of the person bitten.
| Baby rattlers are fitted from the be-
| ginning with fangs and sacs of poison
| and are ready for business. but they
| have only little button on their tails
| where the rattles are 10 come later.
In the matter of food snakes vary.
| They cannot be treated to cold scraps
of all kinds. In fact, most OF them
are rather particular about having
their food served alive. If they are
very hungry they may take something
freshly killed, but they vastly prefer
to do their own killing.
Gopher snakes live principally on
rodents, with birds and occasionally
birds eggs as delicacies Ratters
also prefer rodents. Water snakes
have a weakness for frogs. The corral
snake, which Is very common In the
southwest, is quite n general eater.
He takes birds eggs, lizards, horned
toads, gophers, rats and frogs. He Is
canniba too. A corral snake was
once seen to devour a racer eighteen
inches longer than himself He did
not eat again for some time.
Constructing snakes squeeze their
victims until they can no longer resist.
Viperlne snakes strike and poison their
prey. Water snakes start right in on
frog while II IS alive,
A snakes teeth are fine and sharp
and numerous. They look like fine fish
bones, all curved backward. The un-
der iawbone Is divided in the middle,
anu Tie IODu IL Mbihti III Win al a.
ternating movement of the lower jaw,
aided by a forward and back move
ment of the upper jaw with its row of
hooked teeth With such teeth 1t would
seem quite impossible for snake to
disgorge, yet this young man made one
give up a bird which had been partly
swallowed aid stuck fast by its beak
having gone through the snakes body.
4 snakes digestive organs may be
slow, but they are very sure, Teeth,
skin, hair and every part of the prey Is
digested. The hard ilinty teeth OF a
rat will be found, if the snake Is dis
sected within a week. to be soft enough
to crush In the fingers
Snakes only care to eat once IN three
or four months, though they drink
much water Through the winter they
hibernate IN captivity as when free.
Occasionally Shay mag 70 rausai Hvc
via possibly eat something, but they
are very sluggish.
Constructing snakes have powerful
,,r;, INF 10 gon no IooGpupI Instantly