46 
victim. A hearty meal will nourish a snake 
for many days, yet when conditions make it 
necessary a snake will fast for several weeks 
and still be active. 
Snakes drink water readily. I have many 
times observed individuals of my numerous 
pets gracefully glide over the edge of the water- 
vessel, immerse about one-half of the head in 
the water and drink till satisfied. When drink- 
ing, the jaws move slightly from side to side, 
while the swallowing of the fiuid can be easily 
traced by the action of the throat.” 
“Do snakes always demand living food to 
satisfy their appetite? ” 
“Asarule they do. Some species of snakes 
subsist entirely on eggs; but the greatest pro- 
portion of the snake family subsist on live 
prey. Occasionally I have tempted my pets to 
seize and gorge dead food; but in such cases 
the victims were but lately killed and being 
fresh and palatable the snake’s dull senses were 
sufficiently deceived to warrant the snake in 
gorging its truly unnatural meal. Of course 
you know that venomous snakes usually kill 
their prey before attempting to gorge it; and 
large snakes of the boa family crush their prey 
to death and then prepare it for gorging. 
These facts are due to the truth that the natural 
food of such species of snakes consists of ani- 
mals sufficiently large and strong as to give the 
snake a serious struggle if it attempted to gorge 
its fierce victim while in the full possession of 
