HOW THEY KILL. THEIR: PREY. 22, 
OL 
the air in the cage be warm, they become sluggish, refusing all 
food, and die of starvation. After swallowing a rat, a Puff Adder 
will rarely take food again for at least a month. I have succeeded 
in keeping Puff Adders alive for considerable periods by artificially 
feeding them. An oiled rubber tube is slipped down the reptile’s 
throat and the contents of fowls’ eggs are squirted down into the 
stomach by means of a syringe. The rubber tube can be dis- 
pensed with, and the nozzle of the syringe inserted into the 
snake’s throat. An easy plan is to insert the tube of a glass 
funnel into the reptile’s throat and pour the liquid food into the 
funnel. If it does not run down freely, it may be worked down 
by manipulating the snake’s throat with the fingers. 
How THEY KILL THEIR PREY. 
A Puff Adder can swallow the largest of barn rats with ease. 
Whenever a live rat is introduced into a cage containing Puff 
Adders, whichever of them is in a mood ‘or feeding will wait till 
the rat approaches sufficiently close, then, with a swinging side 
stroke of lightning-like rapidity, the fangs are driven home. 
Although rats are exceedingly nimble, the stroke is so rapid that 
the rodent has no time to spring away. Disengaging its fangs, the 
snake keeps the rat in view, but makes no attempt to capture it, 
evidently well aware its victim is incapable of moving far away. 
The stricken rat runs about at random in a dazed sort of way for 
a minute or two, then the back legs become paralyzed, and the 
victim rapidly dies. The instant the victim ceases to move, the 
snake leisurely advances, investigates with its sensitive forked 
tongue, and finding the head, forthwith begins the swallowing 
process, which, in the case of a very large rat, lasts about half 
an hour. 
Rats, when introduced into a cage containing venomous 
snakes, show little or no fear. On several occasions I have 
allowed rats to remain with Puff Adders and other venomous 
snakes overnight, and in the morning discovered one, sometimes 
several, snakes dead, and parts of their bodies eaten, the rats 
sitting in corners or on the branches in the cage, quite contented, 
and fast asleep. Rats will even kill the fierce Cobra at times. 
When a venomous snake bites its prey, the nervous system 
is rapidly benumbed, and all sensation lost ; therefore, practically 
speaking, the victim does not suffer pain. 
Q 
