The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-06-15
Miscellaneous.
THE SERPENTS OF FLORIDA.

You may spend the whole winter fishing
and hunting in Florida, and not see a snake.
This is easily explained. For years the
peninsula has been vast cattle range. Dur
ing spring and autumn, COW boys burn the
dry prairies and savannas to keep the grass
fresh and greer. These fires spread to the
scrub and hammocks, and thousands of rep
tiles perish. On walking over the blackened
ground, it is not uncommon to see the tail of
a dead snake protruding from mole hole.
Caught by the fire in an effort to escape, he
is burned to death.
Of the different species of snakes only two
are thought to be poisonous. They are the
moccasin and the rattlesnake. Their venom
readily yields to the whisky treatment if
taken in time, although this in Il measure
depends upon the location of the bite 1t
is said that a man in Alachua county died
within five minutes after being bitten. The
reptiles fangs struck him in the neck while
he was sleeping, and elected poison into the
jugular vein. MOccasins are divided into
four classes, the cotton mouth the stump-tail
a water moccasin, similar to our water pilot,
and an upland moccasin, resembling cop
perhead in shape, and fully as deadly. ]
gather this information from the natives and
from five winters of personal experience.
The rattlesnake is divided into two fam.
lies The most virulent is the ground rattler.
1t is between twelve and twenty inches long,
and not much larger than 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 dia-
mond marks are not so clearly defined as the
big rattler During the hot summer days il
lies under sandsweeping palmetto fans, OF
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 salt water marshes
between Dummitt's grove and Banana creek
In one day he crushed two beneath his boo
heel. Last summer DR., Fox and Capt. Sans
of New Smyrna were running a wild cat oil
a small palmetto island, between the Eas
Channel and Devils Elbow, at the entranc,
of Mosquito Lagoon They had fired tn,
hammock, and as they stood in the mar,l
grass awaiting the frightened game, the Doc
tor said
81 hear a big rattlesnake; but he's a lonl
distance off,"
The Captain listened. "Thats a groun,
rattler" he said. 81 know the sound too well
Don't stir, for he may be mighty close t
u.s."
The warning was needed. After careful
search they found the deadly little reptl
cOiled at their feet, on a mat of dead grass
Its tail was flying like the wings of hum
ming-brd, and it was ready to strike on tn
least motion. The breech of gun quick
crushed its head. 1t was fifteen inches long
about the size and color of stick of licoricC
and had nine rattles,so small that they woul
go into needle-case.
The genuine rattlesnakes grow to a mon,
trous size, and their colors are more brilliar
than those of the Northern species. The
have been killed twelve feet long, and q
large around as a stOvepipe. Capt Deya
! of Palatka AYERS that he saw one, twent
7 odd years ago, with forty-seven rattles. Ii
T credible as this may seem, Col. Pratt, ofth
Palatka HerdH Hdeclares that he has seen on
: with fifty-two. These serpents frequent hig
j sandy ridges, and occasionally lurk in garder
: and in ploughed fields. They have eve
\ been known to make their way into barl
e and houses. The beach scrub, where seldo
! burned, is alive with them. Some monste
7" have been killed on Anastasia Island, o.
posite St. Augustine. In the spring ha'
counted in one day, on the beach betwe,
Canaveral and Indian river inlet ten fresh
shed skins.