Pleasant Grove Review | 1934-02-23 | Page 3 | Plan to use Pythons to Combat Rabbit Pest

Plan to Use Pythons to Combat Rabbit Pesl With varying success entomologists have been introducing Insect enemies ene-mies to destroy fruit nnd other pests for a long time; now an experiment in that line is to bo made with larger animals. Australian farmers lose heavily every year by the depredations depreda-tions of wild rabbits, and plans without with-out limit have been tried to destroj the rabbit pests without success. Now the government is to export ment with the python of India. Like the boa, the python Is a large snake, and like it also a constrictor. If has no poison glands, and while its size is terrifying, the python is easily tamed, and by many of the natives venerated in a religious way. It is capable of swallowing a young antelope, ante-lope, and a nvbbit would be a small mouthful" for it. The serpents reach the usual length of 30 feet, and while they or dinarily stalk their victims, they can make considerable speed, and can also throw themselves forward Instantly In-stantly a considerable distance. It would be possible for a python to kill a child, and one naturally wonders won-ders whether in adopting the python Australia is not getting something more objectionable than the rabbit j Columbus Dispatch.