St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-08-29
SPUNkY LITTLE FIGHTERS.
The King Snake Attacks and Kills Poison
Gus Reptiles Irrespective of Size.

The King Snake Attacks aud Kills Poison
Gus Reptiles Irrespective of Size.
The king snake is the wonder of all
ophidians, writes Philadelphia Times
correspondent from Fort Davis, Texas.
A diminutiye specimen, scarcely more
than three feet in length, yet the little
fellow is so active, so wary and IS en-
dowed with such rare pluck that, as his
nar7o ;mp.ies, he is truly and unques-
tloin.bty The king of the family.
] was o't5 after peccaries, or musk
hog, ana sat down under u bunch of
cha, arral near stream of water, to
res. a:!d eat bit of lunch. WMle
thus employed I WAS somewhat startled
to see mecca il come rushing through
the grass within couple of yards OF
me and go dashing lead over heels, so
to speak, splash into tie 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 wafer was @ sort of pool,
without much of an inlet Or outlet, and,
unless by going across sand and rocks
or bv coming back on shore again,
neither combatant could escape.
Sure enongil, af.er racing and tear
ing around in the pool like mad, both
pursuer and per,ued emerged from the
opposite side and proved to be, as /
thought, cottonmcu'h moccasin and a
rather small king snake. The latter
was after the ether, however, and be-
fore 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 attack or defend himself with
save his coils, but these are so marvel.
ously powerful aud SO terrible in com
pressing that nothing in the animal or
reptile world, according to size, can be-
gin to compare with him for the es-
pecial quality.
No sooner had the moccasin stopped
and turned to defend himself than like
lightning his enemy jumped upon him
and preceded 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 sender 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 latter's body.
| At last the m0ccasin ceased resistance
and allowed his body to hang loose and
inert. For ten minutes longer did the
king snake hold his grip, then gradually
looseneo 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
| brush.
In some parts of Texas king snakes
are quite numerous. In the low lands,
and especially in meadows and river
bottoms, they are found in great num-
bers. Nobody harm them, neither
whites nor negroes, and even Mexicans
seem to understand their good qualities,
for they seldom if ever harm one
When soldiers are in camp and find 6
great many king snakes in the vicinity
they know it is good sign, for poison
Gus snakes will steer clear of thai
locality, and never visit it while there
is one of the royal breed about.