Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-05-26
For the Freeman.
A Chat with Farmers.
BY AGRICoLA.
ABOUT ALTERNATING ANIMALS.

ABOUT HIBERNATING ANIMALS.
We have not yet done with the reptile
races. The order of which NEST is known
has excited the most fear among mankind.
In some cases the serpent has been wor-
shipped. In the Scriptures it is represent
ed as the instrument of the devil when be
plotted the destruction of mankind. The |
nursery of the reptile race is the tropical
regions. They not only live there, but
they swarm IN these regions teeming with
luIuriant vegetation.
The rattlesnake is the tyre of one of the
two families called viperine, and the viper
is the type of the other. The former is
distinguished by q deep pit on each side of
the nose lined with small plates and the
rattle in its tail. Its teeth are small, but
its poison fangs are very large and power
full. Indeed, the rattlesnake is the most
dangerous of this order. There are sew
eral species and all belong 10 the continent
of America. The North American species
is from three to eight feet long, and of
yellowish or reddish brown color, with
irregular or black patches upon its body.
1t produces its young alive. lis rattles
consist of horny engagements loosely at
tached 10 each other. They increase with
age, but not, as has been supposed, by
adding one each year. The old snake sell
dom has more than twenty-five rattles.
These rattles appear to be more useful to
man and the animals in danger than to
the snake, for they warn him of his peril
) and enable him to escape the fatal iangs.
When suddenly disturbed in its retirement,
the rattesnake winds itself into coil,
shakes its rattles, and then springs some
times four or five feet upon its victim. Its
bite is fatal to man. But this snake is not
l vicious in its disposition; never goes out
4 OF Its way TO attack an enemy. Acting on
: the defensive, it simply uses the weapon
which nature has furnished for its own
protection and preservation, in obedience
: 20 the law of self-defense. Where is the
e blame? 1t is not believed that dogs and
hogs are proof against rattlesnakes, as
some have supposed, nor that this, mol
> any other snake, has the power to charm
4 birds. The rattlesnake is found in mount
S alnous regions throughout the United
s States. IL feeds upon birds, rabbits, squir
rels, rats and the like through the spring
and summer, but in the autumn, as cole
5 weather approaches, it crawls into some
Il hole underground, then goes to sleep t.
V wake only when the warming rays of til,
!, spring sun have penetrated its hidins
" place. Sometimes large numbers of thes,
II snakes are found in Il torpid state twnet
S together in "a heap. They cast their skim
every year, and usually abide near tn,
place where their last skins lie. And w,
have at the south the water rattlesnak,
e which is six or eight feet long, and anon:
l. the Rocky Mountains and along tn
,r Oregon and Columbia rivers we find thu
II, Oregon rattlesnake, as it is called. TIL
South American species is very arg
IL and dangerous. Our southern and western
p states have species of inferior size.
We have spoken in general of the viper
1t is distinguished from the rattesnake b
. the absence of pits in the sides of its face
y The European species is about two fee
n long and is of a yellowish brown coloi
% wt1r omboidal figures on is back and
N row OF spots on each side. 1t lives in tn
- woods and in dry and stony districts, an
III feeds upon small quadrupeds and reptiles
4. Its bite is not 80 poisonous and so surel
ii fatal AS that Of the rattlesnake. There i
Il one well attested and remarkable fact i
=. regard to this reptiles habits The oil
II snake, when danger threatens her young
r opens her mouth and allows the Who'll
9 brood to crawl into her stomach for safety
10 In some cases the mother has been kille,
~ while thus harboring her young, and II
W soon AS they are liberated they resume
N their natural activity. As soon as born
lie from the egg the young viper begins Il
10 show its snakishness, and puts itself int
an attitude of hostility and defense
Among the common varieties of this rep
tile are found the red viper and the blacl
viper. They are found in Europe from
:. Sweden to the Mediterranean sea, and ar,
II the only venomous reptiles OF Great Brit
y ain. The species found in South Africa il
n called the puff adder, which is short an,
q thick and charged with deadly venom A
man bitten by it dies in one hour and ;
a horse in two hours. A bite from the dealt
adder, Gas it is called) which is found il
J, Australia, will produce sure death, and il
ii one quarter of this time. The horne,
n viper is about two feet and half lon.
2. and wears two horn-like processes over it
" eyes. 1t leaps two or three feet upon it
lc victim and is sure to inHict deadl
n wound. 1t lives in the sandy deserts G
to Egypt, Syria and Austria. In autumn
IN retires to some secure place, goes to slice
g and remains in a torpid state during tn
5, winter, many being entwined together.