Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-04-09
SNAKES
The Winter Tenants Of an Old Well
Some Observations.

DOIueflhg the hlgnWay, which contain
something quite entertaining to me
and which may not be wholly withou
interest to the readers of the Grant,
Monthly
The field, on the side opposite tn,
road, is joined by a large meadow
from which 1t is separated by a firing,
of alders and white birches. Thi
meadow is a favorite haunt of the bit
tern, and in the morning and evening
hours his loud booming cries awake
the echoes Here among the wilC
meadow grass and sedge the lovely
begonia blooms in profusion through
the summer months, and the red.
winged blackbird scolds from the tops
of the alder thickets On the other
edge of the field, near the road, is a
row of large sugar naples, throwing
in summer a cool, delightful shade for
the dusty traveller, and one giant elm,
reaching out his proud branches so
feet or more above the earth, and
seeming to draw haughtily aloof
from the more humble trees at his
side.
Years ago there was an old farm
house with its accompanying barn in
this field; but long ago they were
moved away, and the cellar was filled
up with rocks and dirt Beneath the
elm is the old well; but this, like the
cellar, is filled up with rocks and
covered over with dirt This well is
my snake den Here they stay
through the winter. Black snakes,
striped snakes, green snakes, wood
snakes and adders; snakes, long, short,
big and little, live together among
the rocks in the old well for nearly
six months in the year
They do not come out until the lat
ter part of April; for the heat cannot
reach them very carly in their under
ground home. After the ground mas
been thoroughly warmed and the sun
is shining bright, some warm day near
the close of April or the first of May,
/ have seen three black heads sticking
out Of the ground from one hole. Go
near them, and all disappear.
More commonly, one will appear
at a time. First with his nose just in
sight he may lie all day, if not dis
turbed, not rising above the level of
the ground. Next day he is holder
and stays for hours, resting about six
inches from the mouth of the hole,
docking like a dried stick from the
tree above him. Approach nearer,
and the head sways slightly and he
backs out of sight But you cannot
keep him long in the den after the
warm days of summer have actually
begun. He will sneak out when you
are not looking, and escape.
The adder does not come out in the
manner of the blacksnake. He may
lie for a day or two with his nose just
visible, in order to get warmed up, but
when he gets ready to come out he
does so without any accommodating.
I have never seen an adder's head
raised above the ground when he is
ready to come out. In this den the
blacksnalies predominant, there prob
ably being half dozen of these to
one Of any other kind. Adders come
next on the list, and last, few striped,
green and wood snakes. These are
smaller than their neighbors and
quicker, darting back into the hole
very suddenly when you approach
l have seldom been able to capture
any Of these, but nearly every spring
] get some black ones and a few adj
ders. The longest snake captured
from this den was a black one, five
feet four inches long. They will
probably average about four feet
| have never seen as many snakes
here since as there were The first spring
the den was discovered Perhaps it
as because | do not watch them as
closely as | did then, but | do not
think as many winter here now /
was quite young when we found these
snake holes one day by accident, and
not having much else to do watched
the place very closely, and killed a
large number before they were warm
and nimble enough to escape, for at
first they are numb and stupid. Some
times, impatient at the slow motions
of some old fellow who did not seem
inclined to show more than a few
inches of his head and neck, | would
creep as near as possible, unobserved
by keeping behind the old elm, then
fly making a quick rush, l would be
able to seize him by the neck before
he,oould back into the ground. Even
then they would resist so firmly as
sometimes to allow themselves to be
pulled to pieces, rather than let 90
their hold from the rocks below. |
/