24. LICHANURA 



and placed it with the snake. Almost instantly it began to be 

 active. The snake deliberate normally became animated. Soon 

 it seized the mouse on the side of the body. Then it began to 

 coil itself about the animal. When the prey was sufficiently 

 held by the coils the snake released its mouth hold and felt 

 along the body and head until it seized the mouse between 

 the eyes as in the house mouse. Then it began to crush the 

 creature with its coils. But this mouse it also did not eat. In 

 either case it was not the size which was responsible for the 

 non-completion of the process, as was later revealed. 



"Our main objective was to make it feed. In two nesting 

 boxes were young English sparrows of which we wished to 

 dispose. We placed one in the cage. Instantly the snake 

 seized it by the body, coiled about it, released mouth hold, 

 sought the head, began crushing with coils and finally began 

 swallowing the bird quite rapidly for a snake. There were 

 practically no feathers on the bird. Thereafter it ate young 

 English sparrows. It usually went through the process we 

 have described, a truly constrictor habit. Rarely, however, 

 it would seize the bird by leg or head and swallow it at once 

 with no coiling about the bird at all. Is its natural habit 

 feeding on young birds of the desert? 



"As a pet I consider it the finest native snake of the states. 

 It is gentle, never bites, is clean and glossy of skin, coils into 

 a ball or up the arm and is a beautifully patterned snake. 

 This individual was befriended by the whole neighborhood 

 of children." 



