CONCERNING SNAKES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14888, 13 January 1912, Page 5 (Supplement)

CONCERNING SNAKES.

EASIEST WAY TO KILL THEM.

The first impulse of a man on seeing a snake is to stamp on it* head, which is unwise. A snake's skull is very tough, as behoves i a part of the ..body that is always liable to be knocked against stones, et<:., owing to the extreme short-sighted-ness of all serpents.

The back, on the contrary, can be broken with a light rap, for it consists of a delicate system. of ball and socket joints. Should snakes be harmless, the best plan is to leave them alone; should they be dangerous, a shot from a revolver is safe and effective. .

In case no revolver is at hand, a rap with a cane will be sufficient, but care must be taken to keep away from the head of the creature.

A snake does not normally go about hitting its skull against hard objects; it only does this when in a hurry. Moving at its ordinary pace, it feels its way with its long,.delicate, forked tongue.

In the same way, when < about to, swallow its food it touches it all over with its tongue in order to ascertain where to take hold, and this process has given rise to the.mistaken idea that, a snake covers its. prey with saliva prior to swallowing it. No doubt a considerable quantity of saliva is generated during the process of deglutition, but it docs not come from tho tongue, which is merely used as a feeler.

When a snake bites, it bisects its head up to the nape of its neck, and opens its jaws till they are in the same plane, i.e., at right angles to the body. These jaws are provided with six • rows *of ' strong, sharp teeth, four on the upper jaw and two on the lower jaw.

This is a very formidable arrangement but when you remember that a mediumsized constrictor can project its head with sufficient force to knock a man off his feet, and will, either on provocation or sometimes without it, let go this catapult, rat-trap machinery, you are likely to avoid constrictors so far as is possible. Such a snake can take hold' of a man and shake him or strip the skin, and flesh from the part seized as if it were paper.