350 



ORDERS OF REPTILES— SERPENTS 



The slow vibration of a large set of rattles gives 

 a sort of clicking sound, but when the wearer 

 is thoroughly alarmed and angry, the spiteful 

 "whirr" sounds like meat frying. The motion 

 then is so rapid the eye cannot follow it. 



Rattlers are not fond of bathing, Vjut when 

 swimming is necessary they swim well. The 

 species which live in the North, pass the cold 

 months in burrows below the frost line, either 

 in the earth, or among rocks. If the situation 

 chosen proves to be a cold one, the serpent be- 

 comes so torpid that it seems lifeless. 



I once found a Prairie Rattlesnake abroad in 

 northern Montana on October 10, two weeks 



is the skin of the largest individual known to me. 

 The wearer measured, before it was skinned, 

 8 feet 5 inches, and its girth at the thickest part 

 of its body was 1 foot 3 inches. 



This brown-and-gold species is most at home 

 in Florida, on clean sand, among the cabbage- 

 palmettos, saw-palmettos, and long-leafed pines. 

 Although it rarely takes to water, it is some- 

 times called the Water-Rattler. It ranges 

 northward into the Carolinas, westward through 

 the Gulf states to the Mississippi River, and 

 probably beyond. In Texas begins the home 

 of the big Te.xas Rattlesnake,- of the same size 

 and appearance as the Diamond, color-pattern 



d/yj-i>--mJf,- ..j^'A^S. ii.1 M:iJi Jr. 



New York Zoological Park. 



DIAMOND RATTLESNAKE. 



after the first fall of snow. When brought to a 

 realizing sense of its weakness and unworthiness, 

 it crawled into a hole like a shallow post hole, 

 and lay on the bottom completely exposed. 

 This species is very wise in sheltering in the bur- 

 rows of the prairie-" dog," but where none of 

 those are to be found, the wash-out holes in cut 

 banks can always be relied upon to furnish warm 

 shelter for Rattler, bob-cat or wolf. 



The Diamond Rattlesnake' is a royal ser- 

 pent, the largest of the rattlers, and the hand- 

 somest snake in North America. A specimen 

 6 feet long, in good condition, will be accepted 

 anywhere as a large one, but the largest speci- 

 mens far exceed that size. At Oak Lodge, 

 Florida, in the possession of Mrs. C. F. Latham, 

 ^ Cro'la-lus ad-a-man'le-us. 



and all, but of a very light color, as becomes a 

 serpent of the arid regions. 



In captivity the Diamond Rattler is, like all 

 members of its genus, a timid and erratic feeder. 

 Unless all conditions are entirely to its liking — 

 perfect ([uietness, choice food, and no one look- 

 ing, it will not swallow a morsel. When its 

 views on the subject of food and service have 

 been fully met, it will partake of a young rabbit, 

 a rat or a guinea-pig. 



The Timber, or Banded, Rattlesnake^ of 

 the eastern LInited States shows a wide range in 

 color, varying from a handsome sulphur yellow 

 to brown, and finally to almost black. Young 

 specimens are always lighter in color than old 

 ones. One of the popular names of this creature 



- Cro'ta-lus a'lrox. ^ Cro'ta-lus hor'ri-dus. 



