Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-10-31
FOE TO RArrLEsNAkEs.
The Little kinssnaks Always Tackles
the venomous Serpent.

The Little kinssnaks Always Tackles
the vsnomous Serpent.
No matter what the size of the Arizona
rattlesnake, little, harmless two and a
half or three foot kingsnake will tackle
these monsters and vanquish them sooner
or later. He not only seeks the king Of
venomous serpents, but also destroys all
other poisonous kinds whenever he has
an opportunity. For this reason people
of that region, black or white, who have
lived in the territory for any length OF
time, will never kill kingsnake know
ingly or willfully. Soldiers in camp al
ways welcome his presence, for as they
never do any harm themselves 1t is sure
thing that no poisonous snakes will ever
venture in camp while kingsnakes are
around. The extreme length of this SER
pent is seldom more than four and half
or five feet His body is slender and
1.-the, evidently built especially for con-
stricting; in color he is bright pea green,
notified with white and black spots. and
quicker even than the coachwhip.
A citizen of Tucson, Of undoubted
veracity, year ago described to the
writer a fight that he and his wife had
witnessed between kingsnake and a
black water moccasin while camping on
stream of water over the line in Chihuahua,
Mexico.
II was sitting" said he, con a fallen
cypress which extended some distance
into the water, catching perch for supper.
l noticed large water moccasin summing
himself on level bench of dry mud that
formed part of the bank near me. l
watched him for half an hour, when sud-
denly heard slight rustling ON shore
and saw the moccasIn start for the water
at double quick, but he was too late.
Like a green flash, a beautiful kingsnake
about four feet long came darling through
the grass and placed himself between the
moccasin and the water. Then began
one OF the most singular and interesting
contests | ever witnessed. The moccasin,
finding his retreat cut off, instantly threw
himself into COIL and, with his head
raised about foot above his body and
I swaying to and fro, his eyes glittering
with an angry fire and his forked tongue
flashing back and forth, gathered all his
energies for defence in the deadly con-
tiict which he knew was bound to follow.
"His smaller and more active adversary
eyed him for moment and then began to
run with great rapidity around him in
gradually narrowing circle, keeping his
own head raised few inches above the
earth and apparently watching for an
opening. The moccasin always turned
slowly in his coil, so as to always face his
assaiant Once or twice he led viciously
at the latter's head, but recovered in time
to prevent a counter This went on for
perhaps ten or fifteen minutes, when sud-
denly-and far too quickly to be followed
by the eye-there was flash of green and
white in the air. and then confused mass
of writing, twisting serpents rolling over
and over on the ground, resembling the
magic-lantern display of colorcd wheels.
Presently the mass began to take
definite shape, and then it was seen that
the kingsnake had caught its big advers-
airy by the left lower jaw and was holding
on with bulldog grip, while he wrapped
his own body around that of the moccasin
like cord around pole. Then the
squeezing process began, and soon the
huge moccasin began to straighten out
while the folds of the kingsnake were
drawn so closely as to almost bury them
selves in his body. Finally the moccasin
grew quiet except for a slight wriggling
of the tail, and after lying still for some
ten minutes or more the kingsnake, still
holding his grip by the jaw, gradually I'M
wound himself from the body of the other
until they lay side by side on the ground.
"He waited in this position some
minutes longer, apparently to assure him.
self that his opponent was really dead,
and then let go his jaw hold, took one or
two farewell trips around the body, and
disappeared in the brush"
This experience is somewhat similar to
one had near Benson Springs two years
ago. / was climbing hill hunting for
millipedes when suddenly / came upon
very big rattlesnake and very small king
snake engaged in a deadly combat. The
fight had no doubt been in progress for
some time, as both combatants were
nearly used up, so to speak. watched
them with interest, saw the little green
fellow had his favorite jaw grip, and that
he was also slowly but surely squeezing
the life out of the big Crotalus horridus.
The latter's eyes were bullying, from the
terrific pressure, while his adversary
seemed pretty well worn out in drawing
his coils tighter and tighter. They were
sunk into the ratter's body in great ridges,
and were so reduced from the awful ten
sion as to resemble small coil of whip
cord around piece of large rope. When
the rattler was dead the poor little king
snake was so far gone as to be unable to
uncoil himself. performed this kind
Office for him, and after cutting nine
rattles from the big ones tail placed the
conqueror in a small jar, and now have
preserved him in alcohol for all time to
come, in honor Of his great and glorious
victory.