No snake ever rolls itself down hill in hoop form. Tree-climbing snakes, 

 such as the black snake, frequently fling themselves from a tree into the under' 

 brush, when disturbed, and a nervous and excited observer may easily convince 

 himself that he has seen a hoop snake. 



Milk snakes do not suck cows dry, as is often reported, but frequent barns 

 to seek for mice. 



No scientist or person friendly toward snakes has ever seen them swallow 

 their young in order to protect them. Because of the peculiarities of snake anato' 

 my, unborn snakes may appear to the casual observer to be in the parent's 

 stomach. Some snakes do eat smaller snakes. However, digestive juices that 

 are able to dissolve even bone would make a snake's stomach an extremely 

 poor refuge. 



Snakes have no hypnotic powers. Animals, like humans, may be too 

 frightened to retreat from danger. Most reported cases of a snake's charm' 

 ing its prey deal with birds, which frequently flutter before any animal that 

 approaches their nest in order to lead it away. 



A wide, flat, triangular head does not brand a snake as poisonous. The 

 harmless spreading adder, Heterodon, can flatten its head more than the dan' 

 gerous water moccasin. The poisonous coral snakes have slender heads. 



The forked tongue of a snake is harmless and apparently serves to pick 

 up sound vibrations to supplement the poorly developed ears. The poisonous 

 snakes have a pair of hollow teeth with which they stab to inject poison. 



Removing the poison fangs does not render a snake harmless. New fangs 

 soon grow in and the other smaller teeth inside the mouth may serve to introduce 

 the poison. The poison sacs themselves can seldom be removed without fatally 

 injuring the snake. 



The rattlesnake usually gives warning before striking, but it may strike 

 without rattling or coiling. Its strike usually does not exceed a distance equal to 

 the length of the snake. 



The prairie rattler does not live peaceably with prairie dogs, as is often 

 reported, but seeks them for food. 



Snakes are not slimy. Their skins are dry, but may feel rather clammy, 

 since their temperature is usually below that of the human body. 



Fear of snakes is not instinctive. All animals regard an unusual animal 

 with caution. Children who have not been alarmed by the stories of their 

 elders will handle a snake as readily as they will a guinea-pig. 



Contrary to the usual stories, few snakes enjoy basking in summer sun- 

 shine. In cool weather or in high altitudes where the temperature is low, 

 they may expose themselves, but in hot places they show no inclination to com- 

 pete with the "mad dogs and Englishmen" of the old song. Studies being 

 carried on by the American Museum and other investigators show that even 

 the sidewinder, a rattlesnake considered to be well adapted to hot deserts, 



384 



