Poisonous Animai^s of the; Duskrt 361 



Dr. Van Denburgh for a single specific record, he having photo- 

 graphed a specimen from Cave Creek. While usually only of mod- 

 erate size, specimens up to six feet in length are on record. This 

 is the common rattler in the great plains region between the Rocky 

 Mountain divide and the Mississippi River, but is probably not 

 common anywhere in Arizona, unless it be in the northeastern por- 

 tion of the State. 



Another species, more recently described, (Cro tains zvillardi) is 

 represented in the University collections by a single specimen. This 

 was taken in the Santa Rita Mountains, May 28, 1912, at about 7500 

 feet altitude. It is hardly more than 16 inches in length, with small 

 rattles. The back is marked with two rows of small, irregular, 

 somewhat star-like dark spots. No further data are at hand con- 

 cerning this kind. 



Now, all rattlesnakes are venomous and dangerous, deadly, — 

 let there be no mistake about that. Familiarity occasionally breeds 

 contempt, even here, and some foolhardy individuals with better 

 luck than sense, handle rattlers. Such, too, have been known to 

 pay the penalty eventually for their foolishness. The white man 

 had best leave the barehanded manipulation of live rattlers to the 

 Hopi snake priests, who are seemingly much wiser than we in the 

 matter of remedies. 



The rattlesnake strikes, — literally stabs, — with fangs pointing 

 toward the victim, and it momentarily compresses the jaws (bites) 

 at the instant of penetration of the fangs, voluntarily injecting the 

 venom through the hypodermic needle-like fangs by definite mus- 

 cular action. There is thus no matter of chance about the placing 

 of the poison in the wound. Removal of the fangs renders a rattler 

 comparatively harmless for only a few days at most, since a series 

 of new fangs is constantly moving forward from behind to replace 

 the old as they are lost. Even immediately after removal there is 

 danger, for the poison is ejected from the glands as well without 

 as with the fangs and may enter the wounds made by the smaller 

 teeth. Though there is necessity for proper precaution in the vi- 

 cinity of a rattlesnake, there is no need to be panic-stricken at the 

 mere sight of one. The snake cannot strike accurately for much, 

 more than half its length, — not its whole length in any case, and 

 absolutely cannot leap at an intended victim. 



The writer has been assured by a prominent physician, long 

 resident in Tucson, that he has never seen a serious case of rattle- 

 snake bite at the time he would like to see it, via., immediately after 



