The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-05-20
HOW a SNAKE CLIMBS 4 raee,


HOW a SNAKE CLIMBS A TREE.
The Surprise of Naturalist on Discover
ing the Way II In Done.
"If, you never saw a snake climb q
tree" said the naturalist, ''you have
missed n sight that is worth going a
good ways to see I never saw the act
myself until couple of years ago, and
l could hardly believe my eyes, for
had always supposed that when snake
went up tree it climbed by throwing
itself in spiral around the trunk and
gliding up by moving round and round
1t. The books will tell you that is the
way snake climbs tree, and will
show you pictures of snakes in the act
Of twisting themselves about the tree
trunk and working upward toward the
branches. And the fact of the matter
is, they don't do anything of the sort.
"I was up in Monroe county, Pa, and
one day went out to look up some ho.
tanical specimens in deep and thickly
wooded ravine, when l came suddenly
upon n blaclssnake clinging to the side
of n small, rough-barked tree. The
reptiles head was about ten feet from
the ground, and its body was drawn up
by number of very short and abrupt
curves. The straight places between
these curvatures fitted close in the per.
pendicular corrugations of the bark on
the tree for several inches at n stretch,
and took advantage of every rough
spot or crevice in the bark, both to the
right and the left. l went up to the
foot of the tree, wondering how the
snake had managed to get itself in that
queer position. 1 soon found out, for
the reptile, alarmed at my approach,
gave me a most interesting explana-
tion of it by moving slowly up the tree
trunk, working the curvatures of his
long body on the tree with his head
raised five or six inches, just as if he
were picking his way along on the
ground. AT first it seemed that he was
coming down the tree, as his move
ments now and then brought him with
his head pointed to the ground, but he
was going up just the same.
HE did not once attempt to encircle
the tree with his body, but scaled the
side of it with the greatest ease. He
went up into the tree nearly to the top,
and then, as if he didn't intend to be
forced to a place where he had no par
ticular business, he turned and came
down the tree in the same tortuous
way that he had gone up it. The
movement was slow, the snake occupy
ing at least minute in going the
length of his body, about six feet.
That same summer I surprised a black
snake robbing birds nest of it's eggs
in an apple tree On the farm where I
was stopping and frightened him out.
He came down the tree just as the one
In the ravine had done, except that his
exit was deal faster. He glided away
through the grass like flash and dis
appeared. The birds, whose nest the
snake had climbed the tree to rob,
were flying frantically about through
the branches, and sat down in the
shade of another tree, few feet away,
to watch them. They quieted down in
few minutes and the female resumed
her place on the nest. I had no idea
that the snake would return, but in
less than ten minutes saw it stealing
out of the grass again toward the tree.
1t glided to the tree and Immediately
started up the stem again, in the way
have described. 1t went up as easily
as fly walks up pane of glass. Be-
fore it got to the nest, though, it was
discovered by the two birds. They
few excitedly about the reptile,
screaming in terror, and darting at
it in efforts to frighten it away. One
of the birds made dive at the snakes
head. With a movement of lightning
swiftness the blacksnal1e struck at the
bird, seized it by one leg and started
with the fluttering victim down the
tree, the birds mate lowering over it
and striking it fiercely with her beak.
l hurried forward and met the snake
on it's way down and belabored it with
q switch, the only thing could find to
use as a weapon. The reptile held on
to the bird in spite of my interference
until it was near the bottom, when it
evidently became alarmed for its own
safety and released it's prey and escaped
from me and disappeared in the long
grass again. / followed it, but it was
too quick in its movements for me and
got to its hiding place. The bird hut-
tered about Oh the ground for few
seconds and then flew back to the tree,
| where both it and it's mate chartered
excitedly for some time. Then the fe.
male took her place on the nest again
and her consort perched on limb near
by and kept guard, in apparent expec.
tation of another attack from its deadly
foe. remained there an hour or more,
but the snake did not come back and
when went away the male bird was
still on guard. The next day the far.
mer's boy discovered the snake going
up the tree again and succeeded in kill.
ing it. 1t was blue blacksnake, Of
the racer variety. Twice since that
time have discovered blacksnakes in
the act Of climbing trees, and they al
ways went on the side of the trunk,
and ] am satisfied that they climb a
tree in no other way."-N. Y. Sun.
THE HYPHEkATED NAME.