Show MANY IA Y SNAKE BASELESS Superstitious fear leal ear of snakes has ha led baseless ed to persistent belief in various base se ba different less leas myths about the habits of di dif dif- ferent species Thc iThe hoop snake and stinging traditions ar are hoop io snake ko is ct-cd- ct od ed d with the l to form itself ton in in- in into ina to a a hoop andi and roll in pursuit of its n with race horse ra horse c-horse speed If the th victim lodges dodges nd a tree is struck by bythe bythe the he hoop the tree is said to tobe toe toas be e sure to die lie That an any snake could place lace its tail t Jn n its mouth and md roll alon lon is absurd and ann ana tomi allY s say sy y biologists of f the United States Stales Department of ofA A The stin stinging in snake myth apparently originated 0 mo nio c e than years ago It t was as based on the appearance of the he horn e cc which is harmless The rho tail of t tl is snake has the shape shaped of d a n horn or pike but it is quite in- in incapable in incapable c capable of p pi or stinging stinging- any any- anything any anything thing thing- The Thc so call d glass or jointed snake eople think can break into pieces when rhen struck and reassemble itself later I Ir ater if its h ad has not bee captured or r destroyed This animal is really d i legless liard li ard which like many lother ther lizards has the of power drop drop- dropping dropping ping ing its tail In escaping from a pur pur- pursuer pur- pur pursuer Because of its food habits this reptile is of considerable considerable value tt agriculture t The myth br f snake n nake ke Peking ucking cows ig a entirely i Anyone who has as ever v knows that the I he pressure required d 10 obtained a I of milks milk s far greer greater than any snake make could exert I a snake has twi tw row of re teeth in each jaw w vich ich would make sucking impossible The ig viper or puffing ad- ad adder adder ad adder der known a aLso aso so by other names is isone isone isone one of the g bluffers blutTers among snakes One f its habits is that of feigning death by rolling over on its back ck t t is entirely harmless as is also the snake which is I supposed to fie ie e able to whip a manto manto man to death |