Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1907-10-20
.FALLACIES ABOUT
RATTLESNAKES

This is one reason Tor the con-
tinued existence OF the rattiesnake IN
the midst OF enemies who would ex.
terminate Il. for. contrary to the gen.
eral belief. the RATHER rarely gives its
characteristic note of warning until
actually attacked. In fact. the sharp.
vibrant ring Of its terminal append
age is probably designed more to as
sist this very sluggish serpent to OBJ
tain its food than to sound defiance
or warning. In the first place, SER
penis possess but the most rudiment-
airy traces of auditory apparatus and
are practically deaf. the deficiency in
the sense of hearing being compen-
stated for by an extreme sensitiveness
of feeling which makes them aware
of the approach of moving objects by
the vibration of the ground.
Hunters, treading cautiously upon
soft carpet of moss or leaves to
avoid alarming game, will often ster
close or over rattlesRake without
disturbing it or receiving warning
and while many snakes are seen and
killed by them, it is probable that a
far greater number are passed by un.
noticed. All snakes are timid and
would rather run than fight, and the
RATHER is not inviting certain de
struction by advertising it's where
abouts in the brush.
Another common misconceptior
which is apt to lead to serious acct
dents is the belief that a RATHER j!
rendered perfectly harmless, so tina
it can be handled with IMMUNITY, b!
the removal of its poisonous fangs
These fangs, two in number, are sit
uated on the upper jaw and lie fla
except when the serpent strikes, whel
they become erect and the closing o
the jaw congresses the poison gland
and injects the venom through min
ute openings in them. In striking it
prey (for whatever charm the serpen
may employ to get it's victim within
easy reach, it relies upon the venom
to give the coup de grace, thes
fangs may often be broken, and ma
ture has provided full supply of re
serve weapons which lie dormant il
tho or nd xryhto rr,s%1 3,xy
weeks will develop and replace tn
injured fang.
An acquaintance who returne
from hunting trip with twenty-five
full-grown rattlers, in box, KEEP
them in his Office for two months
confined behind a coarse-meshe
wire screen. He handled them mos
carelessly, as he had extracted tn
poison fangs, but when shown tina
each of them had developed a perfeC
pair of new ones there was sudde
rise in the local snake mortality. On
was preserved and sent to the Bron
Zoo, where it shortly afterwards CAV
birth to large litter of young ones
which could have easily crawle
through the screen behind which tn
mother had been kept. AS each G
them. possessed the poison apparatu
in full commission and was withou
the power of rattle, they would hav
been even more dangerous than adul
; snakes.
Professional snake handlers are Of
ten ignorant of this power, to quickl
replace fangs, possessed by rattler
and this ignorance led to a serious az
cident to one of them at Bostock's q
Coney Island last year He was bat
ly bitten and narrowly escaped deatl
his recovery being attributed to th
generous amount Of whisky whic
was Immediately administered {
him, which illustrates another mi'
taken idea. 1t is pity to shatter
pleasant illusion, but alcohol, excar
in very small doses, is harmful rathl
than beneficial, as an antidote {
snake-bite poison.-Francis Metca
in Outing.