Bisbee daily review., 1907-07-21
FEW REPTILES OF POISON
 NATURE
New Mexico and Arizona Are No Longer 0verrun with Deadly Snakes or Other Dangerous Reptiles.

are only three dangerous creatures in the southwest. Most dreaded of all is the rattlesnake, but hardly less to be feared Is the commonplace skunk. More deadly than either of these but less considered because so rare that few persons ever see it-is the hog-nosed viper. The centipede, the Gila monster, the scorpion and the tarantula are not by any means pleas ant companions, but none of them IS angerous-contrary as the asser- tion may be to accepted traditions. No living creature is more univer- sally feared than the Gila monster. Yet inquiry fails to bring to light a single authenticated instance of the bite of this creature having resulted fatally. The fact that dissection and microscopic examination fail to re- veal any trace of glands for the se- erection of venom ought to be regard ed as satisfactory evidence that this member of the lizard family has been grossly maligned
 Some years ago William H. Cobb, a pioneer civil engineer, who has car ried the transit over almost every mile now traversed by the Santa Be route in the territories, with a few other inquisitiye spirits of Albuquer- que, undertook to settle the mooted point as to whether the Gila monster was really dangerous or not. A fine ! specimen was captured and confined in a wire inclOsure. Then a chicken was secured and the feathers re- ! moved from its breat that the reptile might have q fair chance to do its worst. The chicken was then held close to the lizard. It snapped vici- ously at the chickens breast. secur- ing a firm hold and not letting go for ten minutes. When it released it's victim it was found that it's breast bone was broken. Nevertheless bid dy quickly recovered, the bone knit ting and the wound healing over with out swelling or giving any indication of poisoning. This appears to fur nish good foundation for the belief that the dreaded Gila monster is real ly as harmless as are all of it's numer- ous relatives of the great lizard fam 1 fly. Possibly the widespread, but ap- parently groundless fear inspired by | it is due in part to it's repulsive ap- pearance. Possibly too, its bite may have been known at times to have
  | upon putrid flesh. Should it bite anyone after partaking of a feast of that kind blood poisoning would be almost inevitable, although not due to any venom seCTeted by the Gila $ organism.
 Whether the taraRtuIa is ever a death dealeI or not is another dis, puted point. However. there seems | In In h- lF spider-like creature inflicts one of the most painful wounds that the human body can endure StOlid Indians who have borne the tortures of the Sun dance without flinching, have been known to roll upon the ground and shriek in agony when bitten by tarantula, which leaves a livid scar that never grows dim.
 While some people say that tar antula bite sometimes proves fatal it is difficult to find a well authenti cated instances of this kind.
 The centipede leaves a little train of blisters wherever it crawls over anyone and each of these blisters de velopes into painful ulcers. Its bite is extremely painful but rarely ever proves fatal, since the discovery oi iodoform and similar remedies, al though if the traditions of old timers are to be believed, it used to be con. sidered a serious matter. Doc Thomas, of old Albuquerque, was bit ten severely by an enormous centi
 pede several years ago, but cured himself by the use of no other rem edy than liberal Dotations of whisky The scorpion is another unpleasant companion on the desert whose ven omous powers have been greatly over estimated. It is in the habit of SC creting itself in ones clothing al night and makes it's presence felt wheL enc begins to dress in the morn ing. Its sting Is severe and painful but rarely dangerous.
 | The hog-nosed viper is found in Southwestern New Mexico and Ari zona-sometimes wandering as fal north as Gallup and Lamy. It is
 however, not common anywhere 1T the American southwest, although 1T
 parts of Old Mexico it Is a terrible
 scourge. It is about as ugly a crea
 ture as one can well imagine, takins
 it's name from it's turned-up nose
 that strangely caricatures a hogs
 snout. Over its eyes are two horn
 like scales somewhat similar to {
 chaGffeur's goggles. It rarely attain
 a length of more than eighteen inch es. IL hides in the sand, which i exactly the same color as it's body so that one Is likely to provoke it f wrath by treading upon it w.thou noticing it. Many sheep hearder have been fatally bitten by it. Tn fangs of this ugly creature are pre- cisely similar to those of the rattlei and it's venom sully as deadly
 Which is the more deadly--th skunk or the rattlesnakes a quer that many 9 frontiersman would DOT der long before answering. Ther are two species of skunk, or poleca indigenous to the southwest Ore 1 precisely similar in appearance an { characteristic to the malodoious Ii tie animal that is familiar to ever [ lone. The other is a little stripe 5 creature of about half that size, mos ! common in southern New Mexico an ! Arizona and mortimer Mexico. Bot 1 have been known to inflict fatal bite { but the little striped animal is tn less vicious of the two.
 1 It is said that the commonplac { polecat has to it's credit a roll of dea ! numbering at least 600 soldiers of th ! United States army. From the tim { of the American occupation in tn Mexican war down till the flni rounding up of Geronimo and hi