| Show SAW SNAKE COMMIT SUICIDE rattler tortured by cats cat and ants anti deliberately turned poison on itself that a snake will commit suicide to escape torture was demonstrated here when two cats the property of a homesteader near the lake herded a big diamond rattler into a hill of 0 red ants says a silver lake ore dispatch to the portland Ore oregonians oregonian Oreg onlan gonian the rattler was flushed in the sagebrush and as it started to zigzag zig zag betheen between the bushes one of the cats pounced upon the swinging tall the angered snake turned quickly coiled and struck but the eat cat was out ot of reach before the rattler was halt half unwound again the race started through the sage one cat crouched and scampered just a few inches from the head of the snake the other again attacking the whizzing tall repeatedly the snake coiled for a strike but when it struck the cats were out of reach and when the reptile waited for his bis tor mentors to approach the cats merely circled their prey advancing and retreating quickly when the snake moved as it if to strike the frenzied snake finally gave up the fight and started through the brush on the high gear the race led over an ant hill bill and la in its effort to escape pursuit the rattler tried to squeeze into the small hole used by the insect as a doorway thousands of ants instantly resented the intrusion and joined the attack of the feline forces the bite of a red ant Is as painful as the sting of a honey bee but not so poisonous the little insects swarmed over the buzzing hissing intruder they crept into the mouth of the snake fastened themselves to its eyes and covered its head the rattler struck blindly in all directions beating the sagebrush the ground anything in its path it turned belly upward then tried to bore its head into the earth the ants held fast A homesteader and his bis wife and two cats were interested spectators finally the snake looped its head and deliberately sunk its poison tangs fangs into the center of its body clinging in this position until the buzzing tall ceased to vibrate |
