The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1888-12-01
vENoMouS SERPENTs:
An Exports Account of the Reptiles q
the United States.

In this country there are four different
species Of rattlesnalrc. the ground, or black
Rationale. the Florida species, the mount
ain serpent and that of tho Staked Plains,
says Stephen J. Wilcox in the St Louis
Post Diep1tch. The rattlesnale found east
OF tao Mississippi and the wooded district
Just west OF that river, is essentially the
same as the Florida species, although some
Tines classel rs separate variety OF all
those the Stakca Plains ratlcsnake is the
largest, most active and most dangerous.
Six feet is not Gu unusual length while
seven foot snakes have on several occasions
been killed These serponts measure some
times ton inches round the body, and re-
coveiies from their venom are very rare.
The Florida rattlesnaGe comes next in size,
while tho short, sJumpy ground snake,
scarcely ever more than three feet long,
is tie least vonomous.
But three other yenomous serpents are
found in this country, the copperhead, the
moccasin, land and water, and a small and
very rare snake found in Arizona, which Is
considered the most deadly of all This
Stake lies in the dust, and strikes like q
fash of lightning at any thing that ap
proaches. A peculiar fact about this snake
is that it is nearly completely bind, and has
the kecnest hearing of any snake known.
These reptiles are very rare. and but half
dozen specimens are found in any of our
museums.
Among the articulates some of the
spiders, nearly all of the scorpions, and
few species of centlpedes are poisonous, but
the yirulence of their venom has been i'm
mcnsely exaggerated, and has become
superstition. The tarantula is regarded by
many as moro venomOua tim the rattle
snake, In all Ily investigations never
discovered moro than two instances where
men have been bitten .iy these great
spiders, and IN neither er@o were the con-
sequences serious. The sting Of IA scorpion
is not much worse than tha ii . wasp, and
an activc bodbrg is more dangerous than
cenupc.le 4. least than any found north OF
the Mexican line.
The effect of q snakes poison is entirely
exerted on tho corpuseles OK the blood.
have experimental on yariods animals, and
have found that tho rcsr.. 81 venom Is 10
cause disintegra.ion OF The eorpuscles, re-
ducing the blood 10 u thick, homogeneous
mass. Hogs nre regarded "a impervious to
venom. but this is by no means the case.
Hogs certainly kill and cat ria. les makes, but
If these reptiles oncc drive their fangs deep
enough to reach the blood. ! pig will die as
soon as any other animal The secret of
their immunity lies in the fact tlat they ad-
vance upon the snake WITH their fat cheeks
presented. The snake drives It's fangs into
the mass Of fat presented. tho blood is not
reached and the hog strips the snake
through Its teeth before it can strike an
other blow. But when tho hog is thin the
fat can not serve as a shield and death en-
sues. Whether or not an animal RECEIVERS
from snake bite depends largely upon its
strength, as in short time the blood will
resume its corpuscular condition, and no
danger ensues Il is simply as a stimulant
that whisky has been found effective, as 1t
IN no way directly counteracts the effect Of
the poison