212] Snakes and Frogs and Their Relatives 



You may be told that snakes will not touch dead animals, but 

 zoo keepers have found that these reptiles will consume dead 

 prey as readily as living victims. The keepers sometimes teach 

 them to eat raw meat by first serving it mixed with chopped earth- 

 worms, then gradually reducing the quantity of worms. When 

 dead food is used, it is moved right in front of the snake to attract 

 its attention. 



Captive snakes are likely to be frightened by sudden move- 

 ments of your hand. "Slow and easy" is the best rule in dealing 

 with them. When you lift a snake, give its long, slender body 

 adequate support; the animal is not comfortable when it is 

 dangled by the head or the tail. 



If snakes capture your family's imagination, a generally satis- 

 factory program is to try keeping one or two during the summer 

 and then to release them so that they may hibernate under natural 

 conditions in wintertime. 



Turtles 



Of all reptile pets, turtles are probably the most commonly 

 enjoyed. Your child is apt to bring home one of these creatures 

 from camp or from an outing to ponds or fields; or they may be 

 bought in pet or novelty stores. 



Unfortunately thousands of turtles are entrusted to the care 

 of people who understand little about their way of life. If your 

 child has a turtle, you and he will certainly want to know more 

 about it. And even if you don't have a turtle pet, you will agree 

 that it is a fascinating animal to watch and study if you are at all 

 interested in nature's ways. 



ARMOR PLATE FOR DEFENSE 



At first glance a turtle may give the impression of an inani- 

 mate piece of armor; when it is uncertain of its surroundings, it cau- 

 tiously keeps every bit of its body under its hard shell. Once the 

 turtle feels safe, however, you will see the snakelike head project 

 from the front of its shell, the pointed tail poke out from the 

 rear, and two wide legs appear at each side. Then you will notice 



