The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-06-21
THE sERPENTs OF FLORIDA.


The rationale is divided into two fam
lilies. The most virulent is the ground
rattler. It is between twelve and twenty
inches long, and not much larger than a
common lead pencil. 1t coils, springs Its
tiny rattle, and jumps, the same as its
larger brother. Its skin is bright black
in color; but the diamond marks are not
30 clearly defined as in the big RATHER.
During the hot summer days 1t lies under
sand-sweeping palmetto fans, or creeps
into gardens and sleeps in the shade of
the cabbages and bananas. In clearing
up litter, man might easily pick up one
unawares. Lieut.. Wright, of the United
States Coast Survey, tells me that he found
them very numerous In the saltwater
marshes between Dummitt's Grove and
Banana Creek. In one day he crushed
two beneath his boothecl. Last summer,
Dr. Fox and Capt. Sans, of New Smyrna,
were running wildcat on q small pal
metto island, between the East Channel
and DEVILS Elbow, at the entrance of
Mosquito Lagoon. They had fired the
hammock, and, as they stood in the marsh
grass, awaiting the frightened game, the
Doctor said:
II hear big rattlesnakc: but he's
long distance off,"
The Captain listened. "That's ground
rattlcr," he said. ~ know the sound too
we'll. Don't stir, for he may be mighty
close to u.s.
The warning was needed. After care
full search they found the deadly little rep
tile cOiled ut their feet ON mat of dead
grass. Its tail was flying like the wings
Of humming. bird, and It was ready 70
strike on the least motion. The bfeech of
| gun quickly crushed its head. 1t was
| fifteen inches long, about the size and color
of stick of licOrice, and had nine rattles,
SO small that they would 60 into needle
| case.
The genuine ra.tlesnakcs grow to
monstrous size, and their colors are more
brilliant than those of the Northern spe-
cies. They have been killed twelve feet
long, and as large around as stOve-pipc.
Capt. Devall, OF Palatka, AYERS that he
saw one, twenty odd years old, with forty
seven rattles. Incredible as this may
| seem, Col. Pratt, of the Palatka Herald,
declares that he has seen one with fifty
two. These serpents frequent high, sandy
ridges, and occasionally Turk in gardens
and in plowed fields. They have even been
known to make their way into barns and
houses. The beach scrub, where seldom
burned. is alive with them. Some mon
sters have been killed on Anastasia ISL
and, opposite st. Augustine. In the
spring have counted, in one day, on the
beach between Canaveral and Indian
River Inlet, ten freshly-shed skins.
After one rattlesnake is killed, another
Is found near it. If the body of the dead
reptile is dragged through the house or
across cattle pen, its mate is pretty sure
to take up the trail and follsw it. Through
the winter these snakes are dormant.
They live in holes made by the gopher
and the land turtle, and are concealed in
many Of the old coquina ruins dotting the
eastern coast. AS the summer approaches,
they pair off and hunt in couples. The
numberless trails in the scrub and savan-
mas made by dear, cOons, wildcats and
offers, are their favorite lurking places.
Here they lie in ambush, and many an
unfortunate rabbit and opossum fails under
their fangs.
Nor are the low savannas and saltwater
marshes free from these great snakes. Last
summer, as Judge Conner, of Live Oak
Hill, was crossing the wide open prairie
at the head of Indian River, he saw a
plump gray squirrel cutting queer antics
fully q mile from any tree, and covered
with salt water six months in the year,
the Judges curiosity was excited. To use
his own words, 1.-THE squirrel was jump
ing around right smart, and appeared a
if he didh It know what to do with hisself.' u
Its attention was not distracted by the
Judges approach, for it continued pranc.
ing over the sand in a cOncentric course
as though erazed. The Judge walked up
) with the intention of capturing it. Sud.
denly he was confronted by an enormous
rattlesnake. 1t was stretched out in the
wire grass surrounding the sand, with its
head toward the squirrel. On seeing the
Judge, it threw itself into coil and made
noise like that of . buzz-saw. Its tail
ratified with terrible earnestness. The
squirrel ceased his antics, and sat up on
the sand as motiOnless as statue. Find.
ing neither stick nor stone ON the prairie,
the Judge tried to scare the snake by
threatening gestures. These incensed the
reptile. It reared both crest and tail
darted out its forked tongue, and jumped
fully eight feet toward the Judge. Hi
Honor then got angry, and threw clods Of
earth and grass. At this the serpent flew
into an ungoverna6le rage. Its eyes fair
ly flashed fire. Apparently aware that
there was no dangerous weapon within
reach, it ran straight for the Judge, as
though it meant to close with him. II
finally became 80 active that Conner was
glad to leave it. As he walked away il
resumed its position, and the squirrel be-
gan his dance Of death. charmed by it
buzzing music. The Judge says that thu
} mystery is, how came the squirrel and its
charmcr on q saltwater prairie mile
from any tree.
More singular still, these large rattlers
have been seen swimming in the salt
water. DR.. Wallace, of DaytOna, informs
me that he has seen them apparently
crossing from the beach to tie main land
at Castle Windy. Three years ago, Capt.
Neil, of New Bedford, one of Swift's
live-oak Superintendents, met a monster
near Mosquito Inlet, going out with the
tide. The snake espied Neil's boat, and
made desperate effort to board her. The
Captain beat it off with the oars, but the
fight lasted two or three minutes. The
= serpent, at last disabled, drifted away
with the current, and was finally swal-
lowed by shark.
| The larger rattlers are said to follow
herds of cattle. Cow boys say that they
smell the milk dropping from the udders
Of. the COWS, and take up the trail, with
view to milking them. This is done
while the cows are lying on the ground
chewing their cuds. When the serpent
takes the teat in its mouth, the cow stops
chewing. and becomes as still as death.
Thus she remains until the scaly thief is
satisfied. She seems to know that the
least motion would be fatal. One snake
has been known to milk two cows sue.
cessively.
In the fall, when palmetto berries are
ripe, the rather crawls to the top Of the
full-booted tree, and hides beneath it
dark green fans. The berries attract the
cardinal grosbeaks; bullfinches, hooking.
birds and parroQuets, and they fall under
the internal magnetism of the snake.
The rattlesnake when trOdden ON does
not invariably bite person. Bethune,
an old Indian River mail carrier, while
deer hunting last summer, stepped square