The Grenada sentinel., 1906-03-31

will, be found, the reptile has pune
tured his heart or another vital organ
and death is due purely to laceration.
Among the excruciating nonsense
circulated about rattlesnakes, perhaps
none is more absurd than the myth
how in times of danger these viper
mothers are supposed to protect their
young. According to the story, at the
threat of danger the mother opens her
jaws and the babies, startled into
seeking the first shelter, glide down
her throat where they remain until,
all peril past, the maternal jaws open,
permitting the little ones to squirm
back to daylight. That the "cannibal''
species of snakes swallow and eat
their young on the least preteXt is
true; but the rattlesnake is no can.
nibal, and certain is it, despite the
most vehement protests, that a rattle
snake does not swallow its young,
from motives of protection or other
wise.
Instances are when, the body of a
rattler cut open, from seven to twelve
young rattlesnakes have wriggled into
the world 1t must be borne in mind,
however, that rattlesnakes come into
the world like warm-blooded animals,
and that the mere presence of the
young, as may readily be understood,
is no proof that they were swallowed
by the mother snake. In truth, there
is every evidence that a mother rattler
does not care the proverbial rap"
what becomes of her young ones. Not
even recognition, much less friendship
or higher affection, exists between a
rattler and her babies. You might
kill or steal litter of young rattle
snakes before the very eyes of the
mother and, so long as she herself
remains unmolested, she will not stir
even a rattle in their defense.
From the first moment a young rat
ent of his mother and eminently able
to shift for himself Each young
snake is full-fledged rattler ready to
hunt and ready to defend himself
with the sting of death Each fiat,
triangular little head is provided with
the long, sharp poison fangs contain
ing the identical venom of the mother
snake.
One of the fallacies concerning rat
tlesnakes is that their ages may be
estimated accurately by counting the
rattles of the tail. This is true only
older, the tip rings Of his rattle be-
come brittle and worn until they final
ly break off. Only when the original
button of the rattle is still appended
may it be assumed that all of the
rings due to the tri-monthly shedding
are still present and that these may
be used in estimating the age of a
specimen.
Still another fallacy concerning the
tail of this reptile is the one that
when a rattlesnake is killed its. tail
will continue to live until the sun goes
down. AS is generally known, for a
time after a rattlesnake, or any other
snake, has been killed, the tail will
twitch and move considerably wher
brought into contact with stick or
any other object; but the proposition
of the sun has absolutely nothing to
do with the time required for the de-
paIture of all signs of life. Scientists
claim that the movement is purely
spasmodic, exactly as are the strug'
giles of a rooster after his head has
been cut off.
Of all the snakes, the rattler is by
far the most intelligent, wherefore he
suffers most in captivity. AS
geological exhibit he is housed IN
large glass-fronted cage where day
and night he lies on the artificially
warmed sand, so cruelty different
from the sun-bathed desert. with its
thickets of Spanish bayonet and
groves of dwarf palmetto. And as diff
ferent as are the wild and the cap
tive surroundings of the snake, as dill.
ferent is the. splendid reptile himself
when seen at large or when viewed
in a cage. The very. spirit of the
creature seems broken. He coils, he
sounds his rattle and he strikes at
whatever intrudes, but the vim and
fire is extinguished with the artificial
home. A -:
Two, rarely more than three, years
4 rattlesnake survives captivity, In
MS own grim way he actually pines
away for his freedom. And rattle
snake dies as he has lived, alone,
sign of weakness, without
even a struggle. TO the farthest~ cor
ner of. cage he draws himself, coils
lis mighty body, turns his wicked
head to the wall and rests his chin
IN his back. Once, toward the: very
asst. he raises his tail and, quivering
t, sends a last, prolonged farewell.
Then the tail sinks and the rattle
snake is dead.