554 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1941 



doubtedly takes considerable edge from their aggressiveness, as it is a 

 commonplace observation of zoo keepers and others that rattlesnakes 

 in captivity tepd quickly to lose much of their fear of those handling 

 them. 



The theory has been frequently advanced that the fangs of the 

 snakes have been removed when they are captured, or later in the kiva. 

 Curtis (1922) states that one of the priests told him that the fangs of 

 the snakes are pinched off with the thumbnail when caught. Other 

 later writers have claimed to have recaptured released snakes and 

 found their fangs removed. It is probable that in recent years, as a 

 result of acculturation, some of the Hopi villages have adopted this 

 precaution. However, it is quite certain that originally this practice 

 was never followed, as too many careful students of the Snake Dance 

 have specifically testified to the contrary. Klauber, an expert herpe- 

 tologist, saw at close range rattlers expose their fangs during the dance 

 at Mishongnovi. Lummis reports a rattler hanging by its fangs from 

 the cheek of a dancer. Scientists have occasionally recaptured rattle- 

 snakes immediately after the dance and found the fangs intact. In 

 1883, Dr. H. C. Yarrow, a competent herpetologist, was admitted to the 

 kiva before the dance and examined one of the rattlers, finding its 

 fangs intact. After the dance, two rattlesnakes were sent to Washing- 

 ton and found not to have been tampered with (Mindeleff, 1886b). 



Since rattlesnakes are accustomed to strike from the coiled position, 

 they would doubtless be in a somewhat unfavorable position as carried 

 in the mouths of the dancers. Nevertheless there is ample evidence 

 that they can and do sometimes strike under these circumstances. 



After carefully analyzing all the evidence, Klauber advances the 

 conjecture that the principal reason for the lack of serious results 

 from bites received in the Snake Dance is that the poison glands of 

 the rattlers are previously emptied, either by allowing the snakes 

 to strike some soft objects or by the simple process of "milking" the 

 glands. Klauber says: 



If I were an Indian engaged in this dance I would not be satisfied to 

 take a chance on the admitted and known docility of the rattlers, especially 

 having in mind the danger to some of the boys of 8 years, or even less, vpho, 

 as novitiate priests, take part in the ceremony. Without taking any step 

 which would injure the snakes (even temporarily, as by the removal of the 

 replaceable fangs), I would use the simplest, least apparent, and safest method 

 of rendering the snakes almost innocuous, that is, by thoroughly emptying the 

 venom glands. This statement is based on a personal experience in the milking 

 of well over 2,500 rattlesnakes. 



To summarize briefly, the popular appeal of the Snake Dance 

 is the result of the white man's peculiar attitude toward snakes. 

 The average person has an exaggerated idea as to the potency of 

 rattlesnake venom. With moderate-sized rattlers, such as the species 



