Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1924-11-07
DENIES THAT SNAKES
CAN SWALLOW YOUNG
Writer Puts This With Other
Reptilian Myths.

Snake stories, appropriate to the
season, are beginning to crop out In
the country papers, says Nomad In the
Boston Transcript Snakes about Bos-
ton itself, by the way, were never SO
scarce as they are now. Districts In
and about the Mlddlesex falls, which
once abounded In black snakes, are
practically destitute Of them now, for
the simple reason that their food sup
ply has disappeared with the general
clearing away of underbrush and the
reduction of the number OF moles,
field mice and various descriptions Of
insects. In the course Of a whole
summers walk Nomad has not seen
more than four or five snakes, and
these were all garter snakes. Inc
black snake Is one Of the noblest as
well as the most harmless Of reptiles.
and its disappearance from the woods
near Boston is greatly to be regretted.
But apropos Of snakes, Nomad notes
that in the Portland Express con-
troversy is raging as to whether or not
mother snakes swallow their young for
the purpose of protection. Now, so
far as Nomad knows no snake swal-
lows his young, and under no circum-
stances could the young be restored
alive to the world even II they were
swallowed, but here is a gentleman
signing his initials and evidently
youched for by the Portland paper as
a trustworthy person, who tells the
story.
81 cannot deny the testimony fur
nIshed by my own eyes when / wit
messed such an occurrence in southern
Indiana several years ago.
'In company with several young
men l had gone to pond on to-
bacco farm in search Of frogs and on
our approach noticed large blue wa
ter snake on the bank surrounded by
many little ones. The little snakes
disappeared almost instantly. appar-
emily running down the mouth Of the
parent snake. A few minutes later
the snake was killed and the body
mutllated, revealing the young ones
alive within 1t. This was marvellous
In my sight, but the young men with
me assured me there was nothing I'M
usual about 1t.
"A friend of mine, whose veracity
is unquestioned, tells me he had a
similar experience with a .copperhead
snake in the West Virginia hills. 1t
may be true that digestive fluids in the
snakes stomach would kill the young
II the parent were unable to control
the flow in the digestive tract. On the
other hand, there may exist sac with
In the body of the female snake pro-
vided for just such a purpose. / do
not know. Perhaps there are those
who can say"
Nomad has heard many marvellous
stories about snakes which their tell
ers firmly believed, but which could
not have been true-stories, for In
the air to strike their prey, and even
Of the "hoop snake" that takes his
tail in his mouth, turning himself into
hoop, and rolls rapidly along in pur-
suit Of human beings. These tales are
Pigments Of the imaglnation-and no
creature seems to stimulate the imagi-
nation as the snake does. 1t is prob
able that the delusion Of snakes swal-
lowing their young arose from the fact
that a good many snakes, including
our common black snakes, devour
smaller snakes, while rattlesnakes and
all the garter snakes being viviparous.
and not egg laying. contain their young
before they are born.