Reptile Study 201 



Some species of snakes simply chase their prey, striking at it and 

 catching it in the open mouth, while others, like the black snake, wind 

 themselves about their victims crushing them to death. Snakes can live 

 a long time without food; many instances on record show that they have 

 been able to exist a year or more without anything to eat. In our north- 1 

 em climate they hibernate in winter, going to sleep as soon as the weather 

 becomes cold and not waking up until spring. As snakes grow, they 

 shed their skins ; this occurs only two or three times a year. The crested 

 fly-catcher adorns its nest with these phantom snakes. 



References — The Reptile Book, by Ditmars, gives interesting accounts 

 of our common snakes; Mathew's Familiar Life of Field and Forest is 

 also valuable. To add interest to the snake lessons let the children read 

 "Kaas Hunting" and "Rikki TikkiTavi" from Kipling's Jungle Books. 



THE GARTER, OR GARDEN, SNAKE 



Teacher's Story 



A chiptiiunk, or a sudden-whirring quail. 



Is startled by my step as on I fare. 

 A gartersnake across the dusty trail, 



Glances and — is not there. — Riley. 



jARTER snakes can be easily tamed, and are ready to meet 

 friendly advances half way. A handsome yellow-striped, 

 black garter lived for four years beneath our piazza and 

 was very friendly and unafraid of the family. The 

 children of the campus made it frequent visits, and never 

 seemed to be weary of watching it; but the birds objected 

 to it very much, although it never attempted to reach their nests in the 

 vine above. The garter snakes are the most common of all, in our North- 

 eastern States. They vary much in color; the ground color may be olive, 

 brown or black, and down the center of the back is usually a yellow, green 

 or whitish stripe, usually bordered by a darker band of ground-color. 

 On each side is a similar stripe, but not so brightly colored; sometimes 

 the middle stripe, and sometimes the side stripes are broken into spots or 

 absent; the lower side is greenish white or yellow. When fully grown 

 this snake is about three feet in length. 



The garters are likely to congregate in numbers in places favorable 

 for hibernation, like rocky ledges or stony side-hills. Here each snake 

 finds a safe crevice, or makes a burrow which sometimes extends a yard 

 or more under ground. During the warm days of Indian summer, these 

 winter hermits crawl out in the middle of the day and sun themselves, 

 retiring again to their hermitages when the air grows chilly toward night ; 

 and when the cold weather arrives, they go to sleep and do not awaken 

 until the first warm days of spring; then, if the sun shines hot, they 

 crawl out and bask in its welcome rays. 



After the warm weather comes, the snakes scatter to other localities 

 more favorable for finding food, and thus these hibernating places are 

 deserted during the summer. The banks of streams, and the edges of 

 woods are places which furnish snakes their food, which consists of earth- 

 worms, insects, toads, salamanders, frogs, etc. The young are bom late 



