, 1877-06-25
FLORIDA SNAKES.
Tho Deadly Nattler and Ills Deatroycr-A
Good Worl for tho NlncltAuaIto.

NooA NuEA ZOE lilo blHckAunlt0.
turyrtpon.iencs .Sx1e Ytrk Sun.
You may sEIclld tho whulc winter fishing and
hunting III Eluri1u aud not see snake. This Ia
easily explained. Fur years the Peninsula has
1ce!l vast tattlc,rauge., During spring and
aasannas to keep tnv grass fresh and green.
These llrcs sprcal to tho scrub and i,anpfilurke
und thousands VI reptiles perish. On walking
Eyer M tl.s tiaskencd M ground T. Is not uncommon
molc.holc. Caught by the tlrc ln an effort to
csCapc, he ie burned to death.
VI tlc dilicrcnt SPECIES ct snakes only two
n5e .gns1 Ut, to ~ po,sonoHs. THEY ulo tho
rcadiIy Yields tu tho whisky treatment IL taken
III TING, although this IN u measure dcpeutss
upon the loxatiu1 Of the bits. 1t Is sold lint u
,1a ~ y A!ashaa County d,ed Within tive minutes
niser n bo;ng bitten, a Tno rcpt!le'a fanen struck
elected poison Into tue jugular vein. "Atoccastl.s
aro utviueuIntuluur claskvs,-tl!0 cotton..nouk,l,
the ntulnp-tatl, water lnoccasIn, sin.tliar to
eut Wutcs'p!lut, und an upland noecaslt, scsetn-
1Iult neupter!lc4u III aitape, at fully al deadly.
! Eutlcr thlA information from tho natives aid
ivy winters u personal experience.
~, IlIe futt!eS1Iakc " divided into two families.
The most sltulent Il tue ground sntt!er. Ii is
not much larger than a common lead pencil,
II coils, springs its tiny rattle, and 1un,rs tIe
hanlu ~ tts larKu brother. Its sltin Is a bright
black u, soior; but t'!o diamond t,arka nrc not
the hot summer days It lies under sai.d-AwerI.
slE paiInct'o 1ans, or srrrps into gardens a,i,l
sleeps II, tho siadG of the tubbngc mud baanas,
~ clearing up litter, nun ..iEht easily pick
Unsa s,stss Goss sIyey ss. tes g; 3 ts e. +.
luund tllcll vcry. humorous In tho salt.wntsr
Innrshca between uuMinitt's Groye aud batia,,l
Creek. IN u1e lay la crushed Two beneath Ills
1oot-l'cel. Last summer Or. Fox aud Capt.
sahs, OF New Smyrna, wcrc running Wild cat
nn stnail palmetto island betwecIl the Eaxt
lhannel u,ltl Deyips Elbow, at tho cLtrullcu ri
atusq,,to Lagoon. lhey hadtltcl The Aa,,,ll,ock,
an1 - tley stood in the marsh grass uwnitlug
~: dsa5 bls rastissuuke; but hrs a long dis
The Captatu listened. "That's a ground
fsatt:eF,n ta suil. ~ know tho sound too we'll.
l'Ec waruiug WIS hcedc,i. Alter caseful
searrh they found tbs 1cally little reptile coilssi
at tae'r icet Oil y tnnt VI dead gsass Its tall
Was Lying like tic wings Ut y AuIanling.bir,l,
S T, = wy teady to strke on tue lsast motion!
" was tlieen tEches long, about the bizu anA
color ot stick Of lfcoFlcr, anA had nine sattles,
10 sAall that they would 80 Into ..cets'e-t use.
ING ESunlnu Fattlesnakcs Eruw to u l!lopstrous
exc,. ohu ther coloEs uro more brilliant tllau
those u TIC Northern species. Tlcy hare been
killed twelve feet lung and a large as a styyu-
pipe. Capt. Desal! Of ralatka, aycss that ho
saw cae' 'Tsaty ~ ysars with tottyssgc
rratt, Ut the ralatk:l lhrahi, declares tint l,c
Las seen one with htty-twu. TAesu scrpcuts
fTt9ueut high, han1y ridges, aud ueeuslon4lty
lnsk tn garlens G,sa In ploA ri Arils. They
have even tcGu known III make tLcle way lptv
barua aui HOUSES. 1hr teaxl scrub, wl,cre
seldom burned, ia alive With tl.ul, bvinr
u!unstess hare been killed IN Anastaaia Island,
otN,stto st. Augustine. lI tue epEng liuyu
couuttd III one duy On thu bcarh Gct ecu Can.
arefal and lndun Klycr Inlet tcn tseshly-steI
skins.
Alter enc TattIcsuake Is killed, auotl.er ia
found near It. II tho body of the dead reptile
u dragged through tho house or urross cattle.
pen, tts nate Il pretty sure 10 ta&B up tho ltuil
and follow It. Through tlu winter these suakcs
H1u dotnlant. They i've in holes made BY tic
gopher aI4 tho lalla-turtle, md are concealed
III many VI tAe old cu4ulA1 ruins tlultsng lhu
castcrn eoast. A. the summer approaches they
pair ou aud hunt in couples. The numLetless
tEails III the slEub und savanuas ulalu by deer
ct'ons, wildcats, und otteza utu their iayoritu
lurking places Here they liz iu ampusi,, nud
nauy m unfortunate sulb!t md opossu1u falls
under their fauxs.
NoE are The low savanna and t-Hat er na1shes
fre4 from ahess great snakes. Last summer
q Judge Connor. Of Live Oak uill, vas crossing
the Wlda open prairie at the head Of Iuliap
River, he eas q plump, gray squirrel cutting
queer entics on spot Of bare sand. A. the
sand WIS fully tnile from any tree, aud covered
With whitewater s,Y fnonfhu tn &{o s,vn,r ~,