Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-16

Why is it that most people hate the
sight of snake? The subject becomes
timely in view of the tragedy of this
week which cost the life of one Of the
most capable experts in the handling
of reptiles ever connected with the New
York Geological Garden, Carl Snyder,
through the bite of a mate to snake
he had just captured. He knew that
this is the mating time of snakes, when
they are usually found in pairs, yet he
took no precautions, when he picked
up his captive, to guard against the
vengeance Of its mate. The immediate
application of the proper serum would
have saved his life, but his companion
had the only supply of the antidote,
and that companion was far from the
victim, beyond the sound of his frantic
calls, when the expert suddenly felt
the hot sting upon his thumb and
realized its deadly character.
An inexperienced person about to at
tack viper or other dangerous reptile
would provide against all contingencies.
and carry the approved serum. but ac-
cording to DIR. Leonhard Stejneger,
curator, Department of Reptiles, United
States National Museum, the expert is
not likely to take the precaution, for,
being an expert, he does not expect to
be struck. Possibly the fate of Mr..
Snyder in making his one mistake,
after years of handling all kinds OF
reptiles, will serve as caution to other
experts" and induce them to adopt
the motto, Safety first"
X r X
How deadly Is q rattlesnake? Is II
true that 1t can leap many yards after
its prey or spit its poison like pole
catP No; neither statement is true
But other facts are just as astonishing
and uncanny. For example, the myth
of our boyhood days, that II a snake be
killed 1t will continue to writhe until
the sun goes down, may not be fact
but what Is still more amazing is that
though a snakes head be cut oil, 1t can
still strike and hit its target-the hand
of its killer-even with the stump OF
its beheaded neck.
Here is a snake story by Prof. Brewer
of Yale. which has the sanction OF
Curator Stejneger, who copies it into an
article written by the curator more
than a score of years ago:
Prof Brewer was in California, equip
ped with his tripod and other survey
ing instruments, in the field. Stepping
along in the bushes, he felt move
ment under his feet and found that he
was standing on q 412-foot rattleSnake
"a large, vicious and fighting fellow
But the snake was so plnloned that ne
could not strike the thick boot that held
him fast Prof. Brewer held the snakes
head down with his tripod and cut II
Oft. Then he cut off the rattleS. Step
ping aside, he saw the body of the de-
capitated snake lying very still. Taking
out his rule to measure its length, the
professor took hold OF the snake 70
Straighten 1t out
"Quick as an electric shock" said
Prof. Brewer, that headless snake
brought the bloody stump over ana
struck a hard blow upon the back OF
my hand. I knew that his head was of
and that he could not poison me, but
that quick and hard blow of the RATHER
made my hair stand on end
If headless snake can strike so &C
curately, 1t is no wonder that live one,
unseen and unexpected, hits its target
with deadly certainty.
X X X X
Why does a rattlesnake give warning
before 1t strikes? It is not explained by
its magnaninous desire to give its enemy
time to escape. Science has been I'M
able to advance any satisfactory theory
of that mystery, except that In the evo-
luton of the centuries of geological
ages, before man came upon earth, the
RATHER must have developed that signal
to summon aid against its enemy or to
entrap insectivorous birds. Later years
have left vestige of that prehistoric
signal. The warning rattle saves few
victims, for the strike follows so In
| stantly that there is no chance to es-
cape, and the rattle really serves only
to inspire such terror in the victims
mind that he cannot defend himself.
1t has been held by some that the
| rattle which resembles the sound of a
locust, or of certain insects on which
birds feed, is used to decoy such birds
within striking distance Of the snake.
= y II "
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