The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-10-05

Information About Poisonous Snakes
an Eo-E 70 lei IN


Information About Poisonous Snakes
and How 70 Ten Them
Dr. G =. Foster OF laredo Tex,
owns large snake ranch near Corpus
Christi He has been IN the business
OF catching and breeding snakes for
ducts a large snake emporium
there. HIS wife looks after the snakes
on the ranch DR.. Foster, who has
perhaps handled more snakes than
any other man in the world, deals In
every conceivable kind OF snake,
which he sells to shOwmen and others
for exhibition purposes. as well as to
naturalists and all those interested In
snakes in any way
DR.. Foster has gathered much val
liable Information concerning poison
Gus snakes and which will be OF in
terest to people out here in western
Kansas.
The danger from snakes says the
doctor, lis largely OYerestimated-
There is necessarily an element OF
danger in handling reptiles OF so
poisonous a character, but the dan
ger is reduced to q. minimum by know
ing how to handle them-dOing your
work intelligently. That's where the
secret OF success lies See those big
ugly fellows in those cages over there?
wouldn't mind putting my hand in
any one Of their cages and stirring
them up, handling them freely, with
the possible exception OF that big
horned RATHER. / don't know what
he would do, for I've never handled
diligently and kindly il viii not bite
you, ordinarily. / know OF snakes that
have been handled all their lives and
have never offered to bite
You often hear the uninitiated de-
clare that the poison has been extract
ed from snakes used in shows for eX-
hibitOn purposes That IS mistake
Once the poison is extracted the snake
- s. - r-uN
is to Us. Without it a snake cannot
live. BY breaking on the end Of the
fangS the accumulation Of poison may
be retarded, SO that If it does bite II
cannot throw so much poison into
one; but this is seldom TesOrted to by
the best exhibitors. The only way to
reduce the element Of danger is to
make oneself an immune lnOcula-
ton has been Pracdced In this coun-
try only during the past eight or ten
years although known in the Orient
for centuries past
There are fewer poisonous snakes
than one thinks in this country The
habit Of indiScriminately Staying every
snake one sees is wrong. Many Of
them are perfectly harmless There
| is way by which the poisonous ones
may readily be distinguished from
those that are harmless. See those
| rattlers I'D there? Well, you notice
| how wide their jaws are2 That pro-
truding part Of the jaw, that gives
| them so ugly an appearance holds the
poison Then, see those double nos
| triIs2 Every poisonous snake has
/ double nOStrilS; now see those little
| fellows UP there2 Notice how mar
row their heads are, and that they do
not have double nOstrils- They are
a snake eats only about three
times a year, and becomes blind I'M
mediately after eating, and stays IN
] this condition until he sheds his skin
/
/ blind about One-third OF their lives,
Il while the others do not remain 50
quite as long. Another thing snakes
/ have no ears, and consequently can
not hear. As they cannot hear, ana
are blind about One-third OF their
/ lives it would seem that they are, art
/ or all quite harmless creatures How
/ ever. their sense Of feelin- is develop
| ed abnormally, as II must sJano IO5
| both sight and hearing for them, and
| they can feel the approach OF any
thing for quite a distance Ioo'
/ tread, however light, can be telt Dy
them far away
/ by a snake I have a preparation OF
nv own that I use in cases OF such
| emergency. A far better remedy tnan
alcohol is aromatic spirits Of ammonia
/ and potash. with plenty OF ice water
/ DR. Foster says the snake business
/ is very profitable. He breeds them
/ by the thousands, but the demand Is
/ greater than the supply, and he mas
| constantly employed a large force OF
| Mexicans who capture snakes all over
/ this part OF the state. In addition 70
| selling snakes to museums and Tor eX-
hibitiOn purposes, he has a large
/ snake oil factory in operation. He
| obtains a valuable oil from the car
/ cases Of the snakes The oil Is great
| " sought for medicinal purposes II
is claimed that It is sure cure 1or
| rheumatism and other diseases. He
Il also tans the skins OF the snakes and
| manufactures purses, belts, neckJleS
i and other articles from them