The Dickinson press., 1905-10-28
T0CATCH.A RATHER
SIMPLY sTooP AND PICK HIM UP
WITH YOUR HANDS.

I-'F.-Ea
WITH YOUR HANDS.
II the Snake Il Coiled, 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 a young man who has studied
item since he was ten years old:
The best way to catch a snake is to
simply stoop down and pick it up, as
youstwould a toad or a turtle. Some
times with a RATHER it is as we'll to
put. q stick on his head until you get
Your hand on him. If the. snake is
coiled, simply lay M hand over it 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. 1t 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-
Technically.
This young naturalist was without
his antiGote the first time he was bitten
by a ratt!er.. 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 RATHER, and it struck
him. He placed ligaturcs 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
Uedicine. The next day his whole side
has 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 lie learned was that a
quick movement in front Of a rattler's
eyes is a most dangerous proceeding
and it will make a snake strike quick
er: than anything else. In handling
strange rattlesnakes he is always a lit
tie careful and usually, draws them
into his hand owe his coat sleeve. A
caressing little pat on the head seems
to, have the same" effect on snakes as
on other animals. =
After putting q RATHER on tie floor
of; his room and teasing it, to make it
coil and strike. this snake trainer pick
ed it up in his hand, patted it's head
and then pried open the big mouth
with a nail to show it's fangs, seven
on: each side, in. different stages of
liz 3ox-olooroo,,+ f,,o,,, 'o,,o l;1yo 80 f-;n
point to one the size of a birds claw.
The large fang is likely to drop out
at least once a 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 a dog or a cat. 1t
may or may not be serious. All de.
ponds upon whether a poisonous germ
Is transmitted and upon the condition
Of the blood of the person bitten.
Baby r~attlers 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.
4 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 W killing.
Gopher snakes live principally or
rodents, with birds and occasionally
4 birds'sxseggs as d%elicacies. Rattlers
also prefer rodents. Water snakes
have a weakness for frogs. The CORA
SNAKE. which is very common in the
southwest, is quite a general eater
He takes BIRDS eggs, lizards, horned
toads, gophers, rats and frogs. He is
a cannibal too. A corral snake was
once seen to devour a racer eighteen
inches longer than himself. He die
not eat again for some time. r
Constructing snakes squeeze theil
victims until they can no longer resist
Viperine snakes strike and poison thei1
prey. Water snakes start right in OF
a frog while it is alive.
A snakes teeth are fine and SHARP
and numerous. They look like fine fist
UOll0S, ill CuIfcu UdCA WdIu. Liz I'LL
der jawbone is divided in the middle
and the food is worked in with an al
ternating movement of the lower jaw
, aided by q forward and back move
ment Of the upper jaw with it's row Of
hooked teeth. With such teeth it woult
seem quite impossible for a snake tx
disgorge, yet this young man made one
give up a bird which had been partly
, swallowed and stuck fast by it's beal
having gone through the snakes body.
A snakes digestive organs may be
slow, but they are very sure. Teeth
skin, hair and every part Of the prey Is
digested. The hard, finty teeth Of 8
rat will be found, if the snake is dis
t 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
? -o,,1I, 40 -. T1,,,o,,o1, k1o -ysn%o,, f1,0r