Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-03-26
Rattlesnakes and their Habits.

Ordinarily, the rattlesnake is extremely
sluggish, and unless molested there is little
to fear from it during the greater portion
of the year. Just before and just after
its winter sleep, however, it is more active,
and often assumes the offensive. In order
to strike, it must lie in close coil, with
its head and neck erect. In this position
it throws itself forward about threefourths
its length, supporting its weight entirely
upon the remaining fourth. When mo-
Tested or alarmed, or when about to at
tack, the rattle is violently shaken; but
practically this serves little purpose as
warning, since when excited the creature
strikes at the intruder with the quickness
of lightning, and almost multaneously
with the sound of the rattle. The state
ment that the noise Of the rattle is peculiar,
and once heard will never afterward be
mistaken. is emphaticaly denied, the
writer averrlng that he has known the
opinions of those who had frequently heard
the sound "'divded as to whether a GER
tain omnous clicking arose from the grass
hoppers, which were there in great num-
bers, or rattesnake." Contrary to the
common belief, the reptile also often
leaves it's hole and moves about after sun
down, not seldom crawling into tents, and
even into beds, during the night. The
notion that venomous snakes do not bite
twice in immediate succession is also
pronounced erroneous, the writer mention
ING case where he saw the rattesna Ike
strike three times with electric quickness,
each time leaving the marks of its fangs
on the trousers OF the person attacked.
But with all its qulckness and lrrltaeil-
ity, the snake frequently refuses to bite,
even when crowded to the closest quarters.
1t is related that often when trod Oh it
fails to retaliate; and one remarkable in
s'ance is given where gentleman on com
ing out of the river Platte after BATH
aud entirely naked, sat down upon rat
tlesnake, and discovering his mistake sud-
denly resumed his legs, without suffering
any harm beyond a severe fright, The
peculiar odor Of the rattlesnake is vouched
for, and we are told that when one is irri-
tated and made to bite the rake or hoe with
which it is intended to kill him, the imple-
ment will retain the same unpleasant smell
for months, Once known, the odor is al
ways recognizable.
The bite of the rattlesnake, according
to this observers experience, is neither SO
rapidly fatal nor so incurable as most peo-
pie suppose. Of thirty persons bitten by
the rattesnake, he states that all recovered
but one, and "a lived twelve days after the
accident OF the whole thirty, this was
the only case which received surgical ad-
vice but whether it was the bite or the
advice that killed the patient we are not
informed.
Whiskey the writer regards as specific
for the bite Of the rattlesnake, and relates
numerous instances which illustrate the
wonderful power OF this agent when ad.
ministered in sufficient quantity. 1t is
well known to physicians that persons
suffering from diseases attended with Sc
verepai will often tolerate much larger
doses of opium or other narcotics than
could otherwise be borne. Persons poi
soned by the bite OF rattlesuake mani
fest similar tolerance for immense doses
of whiskey, quantities sufficient to make a
well person stupidity drunk, or even to de-
stroy life, often producing no visible effect
upon the sufferer from snake bite. Yet,
to be of any service to the patient, it is
asserted that he must be made thorough y
drunk before it is safe to suspend the adj
/ minjstration of the remedy. 4 quart or
more OF raw whlskey is frequently required
to bring about this condition but when
once it is attained, no further danger need
be apprehended.
While the rattIesnake is found spread
over large portion of North America, it
IS much more abundant in some localities
than in others. Texas probably holds an
Infinitely larger proportion of these rep
tiles than any other Stale in the Union.
The district lying between the RIO Grande
and the NueceS, two streams which flow in
the same direction and some sixty or
seventy miles apart, is a desert region,
literally swarmlng with poisonous serpents
(" In summer" says our writer, one can
not 90 fifty yards in this locality without
seeing rattlesaake In other parts of
the State the moccas;n is the prevalent
snake; while centipedes, tarantuIas, and
aIligators intest various localities, aud are
each terrible scourge."
All writer's have hitherto concurred il
saying that rattlesnakes are never met
with at an elevation of more than 5000
feet above sea level. the surveyi' party
of Mr. Morley Killed numbers of them las
year at an elevation of about 5000 feet
1t, is added, however, that they were never
found SO high before. The mountain snake.
| possess more vivid colors than their breth
rem of the prarles, and of the two are
more dreaded on account of their supposed
teroclty,-hpr1 GALAXY.