Smyrna times., 1905-09-27
TO CATCH A RATTLER
SIMPLY STOOP AND PICK HIM UP
WITH YOUR HANDS.

Al the Shake Is Cotled, Lay One Hand
Over 1t and the other Under 1t, and
1t will Not Move to Get Away.
Some Facts About the Reptiles.
Here are some facts about snakes
given by young man who has studied
foem since he was ten years old:
The best way to catch a snake is to
simply stoop down and pick it up, as
you would toad or a turtle Some
times with a rattler it is as we'll to
put stick on his head until you get
your hand on him. If the snake Is
coiled, simply lay one hand over it and
the other under it, and the snake will
not move to get away.
There is a surer cure for snake bite
than any brand of whisky. 1t is strych-
MIA sulphate, nitroglycern 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 rattler. 1t was on the Mojave
desert, and he was prowling around
among some old prospect holes. Stoop-
Ing down to pick up a piece of copper
ore lying at the mouth of a hole he
disturbed a big rattler, and it struck
him. He placed ligatures on his hand
and arm and started for camp. At the
first camp he got a razor and bled his
finger as we'll 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 it 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 a rattler's
eyes is a most dangerous proceeding
and it will make srake strike quick
er than anything else. In handling
strange rattlesnakes he Is always a lit
tie careful and usually draws them
into his hand over his coat sleeve. A
caressing little pat on the head seems
to nave the same effect on snakes as
on other animals
After putting a rattler on the floor
Of his room and teasing it, to make it
ed it up in his hand, patted it's head
and then pried open the big mouth
with nail to show it's fangs, seven
on each side, in different stages of
development, from one like a pin
point to one the size of birds claw
The large fang is likely to drop out
at least once year, but if injured it
may be replaced three or four times
a year.
There is about the same danger
from the bite of a nOnvenOmous snake
as from the bite of dog or a cat. 1t
may or may not be serious. All de-
pends upon whether a 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 a little button on their tails
where the rattles are to 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 Oh
rodents, with birds and occasionally
birds eggs as delicacies. Rattler'
also prefer rodents. Water snakes
have a weakness for frogs. The cora
snake, which is very common in th'
southwest, is quite q general eater
He takes birds eggs, lizards, horned
toads, gophers, rats and frogs. He Il
a cannibal too. A corral snake wa
once seen to devour a racer eighteel
inches longer than himself. He die
not eat again for some time.
Constructing snakes squeeze thei
victims until they can no longer resist
Viperine snakes strike and poison thei
prey. Water snakes start right in ol
a frog while it is alive.
snakes teeth are fine and sharl
and numerous. They look like fine fis
bones, all curved backward. The ur
der jawbone Is divided in the middle
and the food is worked in with an a
ternating movement Of the lower jaw
aided by a forward and back move
ment of the upper jaw with its row c
hooked teeth. With such teeth it woul
seem quite impossible for a snake
disgorge, yet this young man made on
give up a bird which had been partl
swallowed and stuck fast by it's bea
having gone through the snakes body
A snakes digestive organs may
slow, but they are very sure. Teetl
skin, hair and every part of the prey
digested. The hard, finty teeth of
rat will be found, if the snake is di
sected within week, to be soft enoug
TO crush in the fingers.
Snakes only care to eat once in thrt
or four months, though they .drir
much water. Through the winter the
hibernate in captivity as when FIRE
Occasionally they may be reused al
will nocefh1v cornathinQ bIlf thf