The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1905-12-12
10 tzATCH 8. B lss
SIMPLY sToop AND PICK HIM u7
WITH YOUR HANDS.


some Facta About the HeptIles-
Here are some facts about SNAKES
given by a young NAN who has studied
Iee.n since he was ten years old=
The Lest way to catch snake IS TO
LILY Esoop down and pick Il up, as
YOU would a toad or a turtle. some
times with a RATHER 1t Is as well to
NJ i stick on his head until you ger
yo,r Ilari ON him IL the snake Is
coed. SIMPLY lay one hand over II and
The other under it, and the snake VIII
not move to get away
There Is a surer cure for snake bite
than any brand Of whisky. 1t is sbych-
MIA sulphate, nitroglycerin and potns-
SUM permanganate, which may De
carried in tablet form and must be dls-
solved in water ana Injected hypo-
This young naturalist was without
his antidote the first time he was bitten
by u RATHER. 1t was on the MoJaVe
desert, and he was prowling around
among some old prospect holes. Stoop-
ing down to pick up piece or copper
ore lying at the mouth OF hole' ne
disturbed n big rattler, and 1t struck
him. he placed ligatures on his hand
and arm and started for camp. At the
first camp he got razor and bled his
finger as well as he could, but 1t was
nine hours before he could get to his
medicine. The next day his whole side
was numb and stif, 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
ouIclz movement in front of rattlers
eyes is Il most dangerous proceeding
and ii will make snake strike quick
er than anything else. In handilnS
strange rattlesnakeS he is always n mt
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 a RATHER on the floor
Of his room and teasing it, to make 1t
coil and strike. this snake trainer pick
ed it up in his hand, patted its head
and then pricd open the big mouth
with n nail to show its fanSs, seven
on each size, in different stages OF
development. from one like a pin
point to ono. the size of birds claw
The large fang is likely to drop out
at least once q year, but If injured IL
NAV be replaced three or four times
year.
from the bite of n nonvenomous snake
rs from the bite of n dog or cat 1t
may or may not be serious All de-
pends upon whether poisonous germ
is transmitted and upon the condition
of the blood Of the person bitten.
Baby rattIcrs are fitted from the be-
ginning with ranEs and sacs of poison
ana are ready for business. but they
have only Il 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 ali Kinds. III 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 Gelicacies. Rattlers
also prefer rodents. Water snakes
have a weakness for frogs. The corral
snake, which is very common in the
south west. is quite n general eater.
He takes birds eggs, lizards, horned
toads, gophcrs, rats and frogs. He is
a cannibul too. y corral snake was
once seen to dcvour racer eighteen
luCneS iOhE'E lIalll AAAA4iS'AA'
not eat again for some time.
Constructing snakes squeeze their
victims until they can no longer resist.
Vlperine snakes strike and poison their
prev. Water snakes start right IN on
a frog while it Is alive.
A snakes teeth are fine and sharp
ana numerous. They look like fine fish
bones. all curved backward. The I'M
der iawbone is divided in the middle,
and the food Is worked in with an al
ternating movement of the lower jaw
aided 10y Il forward and back move
ment of the upper jaw with its row OF
hooked teeth. With such teeth 1t would
seem quite impossible for Il snake TO
disgorGe, yet this young man made one
give up n bird which had been partly
swallowed and stuck fast by its beaE
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
digestcd. The hard, flinty teeth of a
rat will be found, If the snake is dis
sected within 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 they may be reused and
will possibly eat something, but they
ure very sluggish
Constructing snakes have powerful
grip but 1t can be loosened Instantly
by unwinding from the head or tall
New York Herald.