A Rattlesnake Story

1910

In "Life and Sport on the Pacific Coast" Horace A. Vachell relates one of his narrow escapes from a friend's bullet.

"My cousin and I had been camping and hunting for several days in a sort of paradise valley. One day during a long ride on horseback we had seen a great many rattlesnakes and killed a few, an exceptional experience. That night my cousin woke up and saw by the light of the moon a big rattler crawling across my chest. He lay for a moment fascinated, horror struck, watching the sinuous curves of the reptile. Then he quietly reached for his six shooter, but he could not see the reptile's head, and he moved nearer, noiselessly, yet quickly, dreading some movement on my part that should precipitate the very thing he dreaded, and then he saw that it was not a snake at all — only the black and yellow stripe of my blanket, which gently rose and fell as I breathed. Had he fired — well, it might have been bad for me, for he confessed that his hand shook."

This Monster Does Exist

1917

The dingonek is a huge, unclassified aquatic monster. It resembles in many of its characteristics the extinct dinosaur, a huge reptile of the Mesozoic period, fossils of which have been discovered by paleontologists in the sandstone strata both of the African and American continents.

It lives in Lake Victoria Nyanza and its numerous tributaries, and there is no record of the monster having been seen in any other part of the world. Whether it is a descendant of one of the huge prehistoric saurians that has by a process of adaptation — living as it does in impenetrable regions far away from the encroachments of civilized man — continued with but slight modifications through prodigious ages to the present time, or whether it is an unclassified reptile or amphibian, it is equally impossible to say, as no specimen exists either of its bones or of its skin.

That this monster does exist, however, there can be no particle of doubt, as the testimony of authoritative eyewitnesses cannot be reasonably discredited. - Wide World.

Czarina the Peevish Python Force-Fed

1910

Star Monster Made to Devour Two Eight-Pound Roosters

New York — The regal or reticulated python Czarina, measuring 24 feet in length, weighing 200 pounds and possessing a color pattern of a richness that rivals oriental tapestry, had to be fed on two eight-pound roosters, feathers and all, at the Bronx park zoo a few days ago, and now it is satisfied and preoccupied with digestion.

Czarina, the star monster of her kind, has been very peevish of late. The keepers in the reptile house notified Curator Raymond L. Ditmars that the big snake had refused food, and it was then decided to force the python to eat. So three husky keepers fearlessly took the creature from its glass cage out into the open. There the reptile wiggled for a half hour while the three keepers tried to straighten it out so that it could be stuffed. And they had to be extremely careful, for if the python should coil itself around the body of one of them it could with great ease crush him to death. After a hard struggle the big snake was forced to swallow two roosters which had been purchased in a Bronx butcher shop for the banquet.

In captivity the regal python is vicious and resents any familiarity on the part of the keeper. While confined it prefers to feed on poultry and can engulf without difficulty, as it did a few days ago, two eight-pound roosters in full feather. Two such fowls usually constitute a square meal, but a very hungry snake of this species will consume four chickens of this size and be ready for more within ten days' time.

During the first few months of confinement very large specimens of this variety of snake appear to suffer from the restraints of captivity, and refuse food. Whenever a large serpent is thus languishing and approaching a suicidal end, it is necessary to feed it by force and thus counteract its sluggish appetite.

Generally young rabbits are killed and tied together with twine; the snake is then held by the keepers as nearly straight as possible and by means of a pole the meal is forced down its throat a distance of about six feet. Food thus administered usually changes the snake's demeanor toward captivity. With such a meal once digested, there comes an appetite for food, which usually can be detected by the snake's actions, although for a time the reptile may lack sufficient courage to feed voluntarily.

Attention on the part of the keeper usually renders a repetition of compulsory feeding unnecessary, although occasional specimens are very stubborn, as in the case of Czarina at the park.

Dine With Serpents "Adorning" the Table

1920

"Queen of Snake Charmers" Is Guest of Honor

NEW YORK, N.Y., Feb. 26. — With golden dragons as wall decorations, real, varicolored snakes upon the tables, and Jersey City's "Queen of Snake Charmers" present, the Reptile Study Society of America held its annual dinner in a Chinatown restaurant.

Jersey City's snake charming queen is Miss Alma Casals, blond and blue-eyed, who determined her vocation after a visit to the Bronx Zoo.

"They let me pick up a king snake," the young woman said. "Would you believe it, it was delightful. It formed a necklace for me and then a bracelet. I found snakes were easy to handle and I think they are just lovely."

Just to prove it, the "Queen of Snake Charmers" lifted a snake from a bag. She, as well as the other diners, was dressed for the unusual occasion in very usual evening dress. They represented the most prominent snake hunters in the country. Bags of snakes, with polysyllable names, testified to that. So did the discussion on the dear things, for the diners talked much of adequate legislation for the protection of reptiles.

Snake Charmers Have Variety of Reptiles

1916

Kansas Boys Have Produced New Sensation In Vicinity of Home.

Salina, Kan.—Two small boys, Willie and Robert Shorl, the elder of whom is but fourteen, have produced a new sensation in the vicinity of their home at Five Mile, where they have a big cage full of writhing, twisting snakes of many varieties. They play with these reptiles without the least sign of fear, going through with all the stunts of professional snake charmers.

The snakes coil themselves about the boys' necks and bodies. The lads look in the eyes of their pets steadily as they play with them, and they handle them with the skill of a professional.

The collection consists of blacksnakes, blue racers, chicken snakes and three ugly looking "rattlers." On Saturday they usually go down on Snake Branch and hunt for more reptiles. However, these new reptiles are not placed with their "pets," but are kept in a separate cage and are usually shipped to owners of small shows and museums, from whom they get from $3 to $5 for each snake. Neither of the boys has ever been bitten.

The older boy gave a lecture on snakes before the pupils of the Shoal Creek school. He astonished teacher and pupils alike by his classification of reptiles, giving their Latin names and discussing the harmless or dangerous varieties, taking each from a box as he explained its varied habits.