284 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



ON THE TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 



By Arthur Stradling, C.M.Z.S. 

 (Continued from p. 251.) 



Before turning the snakes into any sort of cage, a minute 

 examination of the interior should be made, to see that no 

 defects exist. The strength of all joints and fastenings should 

 be tested, as well as the firmness of the tree, and special care 

 must be taken that no points of nails or sharp edges of glass 

 project, and that the heating apparatus, if any, is sufficiently 

 guarded from contact ; frequent trials of its efficiency and 

 freedom from leakage are a requisite precautionary measure also. 

 We have already laid stress upon the desirable roughness of the 

 branch, and the importance of leaving no apertures or narrow 

 spaces wherein the snakes may do themselves an injury; to this 

 may be added the advice that everything within the cage should 

 be practically immovable. It is wonderful what heavy bodies 

 they manage to capsize and push about, and if any possibility 

 of doing this be open to them they may hurt themselves, break 

 the object, or damage the sides or glass by its fall. No decorative 

 carving, and still less paint or varnish, is admissible inside. If 

 the cage is to be painted on its exterior it would perhaps be as 

 well to remove them until the smell has gone off, though, as far 

 as I have seen, this has little or no effect upon them. They will 

 not eat a putrid carcass, but they shew no repugnance to its 

 effluvia, and will even seek shelter beneath it, or curl up com- 

 posedly on the rotting body of a deceased comrade. An irritant 

 vapour, such as ammonia, will disturb them by its effect on their 

 mucous membranes, as it would any other creature ; but I used 

 to keep snakes in small cabins on board ship, as well as in very 

 limited apartments on shore, which were wont at times to be 

 very foggy with tobacco-smoke, years before I heard of their 

 alleged antipathy to nicotine, without any visible prejudice to 

 their well-being. I never use soap, soda, cai-bolic acid, or 

 anything but hot water and a brush or cloth, however, in 

 cleansing any portion of the cage or its arrangements. 



For the doors, or any other part capable of being opened, a 

 very safe and simple fastening will be found in a bent staple, so 

 fixed as to project through an aperture in the frame of the door 



