The record-union., 1891-04-29
SPUNKY LITTLE FIGHTERS
The King Snake Kills Poisonous Rep.
tiles Irrespective of Size.

L he hlHS SIllhS NILS POISONOUS 1IeD-
tiles Irrespective of Size.
The king snake is the wonder of all
ophidians, writes the Philadelphia Times
correspondent from Fort Davis, Texas.
4 diminutiYe specimen, scarcely more
than three feet III length, yet the little fell
low is so active, so wary and is endowed
with such rare pluck that, as his name
implies, he is truly and unquestiOnably
the king of the family.
/ was out after peccarieS, or musk hogs,
and sat down under a bunch of chapar-
raj, near a stream of water, to rest and eat
a bit Of lunch. While thus employed |
was somewhat startled to see a moccaSin
come rushing through the grass within
a couple of yards of me and 90 dashing
head over heels, so TO speak, splash into
the water. After him, like a shot, was an
elongated streak OF bright green. In he
went too, and then | knew there was fun
in store. The water was sort of pool,
without much of an inlet or outlet, and,
unless by going across sand and rocks or
by coming back on shore again neither
combatant could escape.
Sure enough, after racing and tearing
around i'll the pool like mad, both pur-
suer and pursued emerged from the op-
posite side, and proved to be, as thought.
cottonmouth mOccaSin and a rather
small king snake. The latter was after
the other, however, and before the big
fellow gave up the race Or could throw
himself into an attitude of defense the
king snake was upon him. The sole and
entire power of the latter reptile lies in
his wonderful constructing abilities He
has no fangs, no poison, nothing to at
tack or defend himself with save his coils,
but these are so marVelOuSly powerful and
so terrible in compressing that nothing in
the animal or reptile world, according to
size, can begin to compare with him for
the especial quality.
No sooner had the moccasin stopped
and turned to defend himself than like
lightning his enemy jumped upon him
and proceeded to squeeze the life out of
his ugly carcass. Tighter and tighter
grew the coils, always arranged so that
the big one could not strike, and pretty
soon the kings body was nearly lost to
view, SO slender had it grown from the
construction and so deep was he in the fat
flesh of the moccasin. 1t looked like
green cord wound tightly around the lat
ter's body.
At last the moccasin ceased resistance
and allowed his body to hang loose and
inert. For ten minutes longer did the
king snake hold his grip, then gradually
loosened it, but always ready TO resume
his squeezing should his enemy exhibit
any signs of life. Finally he uncoiled
himself entirely. saw that the moccasin
was no more, turned his back on the
scene and went gliding through the cha
parral.
In some parts of Texas king snakes are
quite numerous. In the lowlandS, and
especially in meadows and river bottoms,
they are found in great numbers. No
body harms them, neither whites nor ne
groes, and even Mexicans seem to under
stand their good qualities, for they sell
dom, if ever, harm one. When soldiers
are in camp and find great many king
snakes in the vicinity, they know it is a
good sign, for poisonous snakes will steer
clear OF that locality, and never visit it
while there is one ofthe royal breed about