Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-02-02
SNAKE FARMS.
Queer Australian Industry Said to
Thrive Near Sydney.

Queer Australian Industry Said to
Thrive Near Sydney.
Snake farming is not an attractive
occupation, but 1t has more than one
votary in the Australian common
wealth, and in the neighborhood Of
Sydney the industry has been carried
on for several years by an individual
who, while disclaiming all knowledge
of the snake charming art, appears
to have an extensive knowledge Of the
reptiles and their ways In addition
70 the snakes, large numbers Of frogs
and even toads, are carefully reared,
party as food for the reptiles and
parity for scientific purposes. The
snakes are caught in the bush, q work
frequently neLessitatihg may miles
or wandering ana long hours OF pa
tient watching, tor the snake is
suspicious creature, generally more
alarmed at the sight OF a man than
the man Is at 1t. The snake hunter
employs a coupe OF torked sticks as
a means of capture. With one the
reptile Is plnned w any part Of its
Douy to the grouna, alter which 1t ID
Esed by the neck wlth the o.her. Ihis
zone, the captor with finger anu
thumb grasps the head at the side or
the Jaws and thus has the repthe safe
anu harmless. The snake Is thus
dropped, tail first, into q sugar bag.
all mat Is really necessary Is a steaay
nerve, a straight eye ana a nrm hAna.
A recent visitor, writes the syaney
correspondent or the London Glope,
was SHOWN some large specimens or
the tiger and diamond species, In
tended tor the syaney board Of heath,
" niIh IS r.gLlar.y suppned with ven-
omous snakes, from which the poison
used in preparing snake antiaotes"
Is obtained by milking" This Is de-
scribed as a most interesting per-
lormance. Before milking time the
snakes are well fed, a1terward be-
coming excited when a glass, similar
to a watch glass, covered with the
rinest gutta percha, Is put into the
cage. The inturiated reptiles bite
vIclously through the gutta percha,
leaving tiny drops Of poison on the
prepared glass;" This milking" Is
invariably performed during the sum-
mer months, when the creatures are
most acuve and fierce and the poison
most virulent. Numerous vicious
specimens are kept in cages at the
offices of the Sydney health depart
ment to be MIXED" and when some
what worn out are returned to the
snake farm to recuperate. After the
snakes have become useless for milk
ing" purposes they are sold to taxi
dermists or the Sydney Geological
Gardens. There is always a good
market for new or rare specimens, as
much as f6 being paid for a single
snake. Several hundred snakes have
been collected at one time on the
farm, where they are kept in bags or
boxes, the latter being covered at the
top with small mesh wire netting. AT
the bottom of each receptacle is q 1T
tie bran or straw. and OCCASIONALLY a
few old rags.
When the snake farmer began to
keep the reptiles he found himself
periodically attacked by mysterious
kind Of influenza or hay fever, which
he subsequently discovered to be due
to a poison exuded from the bodies
of the snakes. In one respect the
creatures resemble human kind-they
are great sticklers for caste. "The
blacksnake is considered the gentle-
man of the snake fraternity, and lives
much alone, seldom associating with
other members Of the tribe. The car
pet snake is the loafer Of the reptile
world, while the diamond snake Is q
positive larrikin, stealing the other
snakes wives and swallowing their
children. The tiger species is hard to
get on with, being vicious and deceit
tul, and, like the tiger and cat tribe
generally, plays with its prey before
deyouring It." The question Of food
is an important one. 1t necessitates
ample supplies Of frogs. rats, bandi-
coots, rabbits, eggs, etc. This has
caused frog rearing to become one OF
the features Of the farm. The rep
tiles are kept in large bottomless
cages, placed on the grass, with some
bush on one side and small pona
in the center. When in the open a
bit of bush shelter is indispensable
for snake and frog alike.
In hot weather." says the snake
farmer, when the frogs are sitting In
the bushes, they are treated to q
shower bath, an ordinary garden
syringe being used for the purpose.
Great seems their enjoyment, turning
round and round, stretching out their
legs and necks to the spray. But"
he continued, there's a fortune In
frogs If we only had the French Sc
cret Of feeding them. No matter how
much water is about, in the dry
weather they get together in crowds,
and hop for miles away from their
old homes, looking for fresh, marshy
places, with plenty of cover. Frogs
carry water in their pouches, and
when they come across a suitable hol-
low in a shady spot they fill 1t and
make a pond for themselves" The
venom obtained from the snakes Is
understood to. be of great value, the
quantity being extremely limited, and
rarely Weighing more than a few
grains. 1t rarely, II ever, loses any
of its poisonous qualities, and has to
be handled with the greatest care.