Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-04-10
D.. EdWeFd's Letter.

gu experience TINS morning tnat CAV
shock from which l shall not re
cover for long while. As stepped
out Of bed l felt a squirting snake
under my feet and jumped back fol
tear it was on, Of the deadly poison.
Gus reptiles which infest the islands
AS | looked over the side of the bed
saw large python snake make its
way through a hole in the wall at one
side OF the room; called the ser.
wants and told them to find the snake
and kill it, but thew informed me thai
1t was tame and was kept to catch the
rats | saw ii frequently during the
morning, as it seemed to be hunting
for something to eat and had ample
opportunity to examine it closely. 1t
was about ten foot long and has been
kept about the place for several years.
Many of these pythons are tanned by
natives who find them useful and
he rmless.
In the woods, however, they ale
not so harmless. They have been
known to attain great size, and attack
and kill human beings. These large
snakes live on deer, wild hogs and
monkeys. They have dens in piles
OF rock, called by the natives their
houses, and after gorging themselves
they retire to these dens where the
process OF indigestion is completed.
Natives tell tales of enor nous snakes
which they have Seen and frequently
you will hear Of pythons fifty feet
long, But the largest exer captured
BY a scientific expedition was but %
feet, 8 inches long. This is an enor.
nous snake, and undoubtedly a scar.
ed native would think he was fully
80 feet long. The pythons are some
times destructive to calves and inflict
much damage to owners of cattle.
There are many venomous snakes
on the islands, and on one little is.
land. Lubeng. the mortality from
snake bites every year is said to be
enormous. There are many cobras
and coral snakes, but the one most
feared by the natives is the rice leaf
snake which is exceedingly venemous
and its bite is quickly mortal. There
are several harmless green snakes,
watch are also called rice leaf snakes,
and natives say they are all poison
Gus.
The most interesting form ofreptil-
ian life here is the little singing liz.
ard, or ghecko. 1t is very small and
may be seen at all times running
about the walls Of the houses, CATCH
ins flies and other insects. 1t gives
a chireing cry, much like that Of a
young bird. There is large species Of
ghecko which is sluggish and frequent
ly falls from the ceiling to the floor.
1t has a loud cry which is very annoy
ing at night, especially when it sounds
from the interior Of hollow bamboo
in the wall which accentuates the
noise.
Lizards are Of many kinds. The
iguana grows very large, sometimes
being five feet long. One species is
edille, its flesh equalling that Of chick
ell. There are also many flying liz.
yards which have membrane be.
tween the hind and fore legs, much
like the membrane Of a flying squirrel
Their color is like that Of the trees
which they inhabit, and they car
scarcely be seen until they suddenly
spread their membranes and dar
from one tree to another, when they
assume vivid hue which makes then
noticeable. When they alight they
to disappear miraculously as they are
the color Of the bank on which they
rest. These Lizards, like all others