Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1879 — The Rattlesnake. [ARTICLE]

The Rattlesnake.

i | Scientific New*. It has been observed by some naturalists that if we withhold water from snakes when about to shed to epidermis, they are thereby prevented from divesting themselves entirely of the old skin. I always kept a small bird’e bathing-cup, filled with clean water once a day, in a case containing my crotalus. The first skin he cast off, in July, was entire and without a blemish. At the second change, however, the last of September, I removed the cup one night, intending to replace it shortly afterwards, but I forgot to do so. The next morning I found portions of loose skin all over the floor of the case, and much more hanging in shreds from various parts of the body of the snake. Other parts seemed not to be detached yet. I had not supposed that the phidian was quite ready for a change. He was over two months in divesting himself of his torn trousers. Was it due to the fact that water had been withheld at the last

time? I failed toobserve the interesting process of divestment. To test the question of so called blindness occurring during the time when the pupil is covered by i a whitish flliii or thin membrane becoming detached, and occluding the sight of the eye, I placed some very active mice repeatedly in the case, during the period of change of epidermis. The ophidian attacked the mice in quick turn, without ever missing his first victim. On other occasions, however, when his sight was unobstructed, I have seen him strike at and miss the mark repeatedly. After making a few misses he would then strike about' with intensified fury. The snake never ate without first striking his victim. He did not eat more than two mice at a meal, and sometimes an hour elapsed before eating the seoond one. He never killed Lis prey wantonly; on the contrary, he permitted mice to keep his company so long as his appetite was appeased. An lowa woman gave her husband morphine to cure him of chewing tobacco. It cored him, but she is doing her own fell ploughing. |