The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-18
REPTILES OF RARE MERIT.
Snake story From Oregon Heads the
List for 'OS.

snake story From Oregon Heads the
List for '0S.
Snakes, snakes everywhere; but not one
of them will bite
There are hundreds, thousands, millions
of them, all spread out on the logs at the
foot of klamath falls in Oregon.
And what is more, the residents up
there rather encourage their existence.
For any one caught killing any of them
Is likely to be zealously prosecuted. In
fact it is a case of the people liking
snakes.
These water snakes of the klamath river
are one of the wonders of natural history
Scientists have spent years in studying
them and there is a great deal 10 learn
The snakes are absolutely harmless and
belong to what is known as the "eutae-
ma family For miles and miles I'D and
down the river they can be seen at any
time during the warm season. During the
winter they roll themselves into living
balls, sink 10 the soft mud at the bottom
of the river, and pass several months hi
bernating
These snakes seem to be most numerous
in the vicinity of klamath Falls. the coun-
~ seat of Klamath county, Oregon. This
is town of 1900 people and make some
pretension to being metropolitan Yet
there are snakes running wild in the
streets all summer long.
Early in the spring the snakes come
from the bottom of the river, and during
the first warm days spend their time sun
ming themselves on the logs. As the sea-
son wears along the snakes become more
and more numerous until the logs will
no longer hold them, and they begin to
Gilmh hanks ref h.,
rather timid, and scurry off into the wa
ter at the approach of a human being.
but in a short time soon grow TO learn
that no harm will come TO them When
this stage of Intimacy with the inhabi-
tauts of Klamath Falls is reached the
snakes can be watched from short dis
lance, and they viii not pay the least at
tention. It is even possible to walk among
them, but not many people care to do this.
Although the people up In klamath
Fails know the snakes are no more harm
full than a pigeon, nobody ever goes in
swimming during the snake season"
To see the snakes amusing themselves
on the river bank during the long hours
of warm day is a sight never to be for
gotten. They are quite playful and ex-
hbit a great deal more nveliness than
would be expected of them. But it is a
sight that gives most people the "creeps"
In fact many people in klamath Falls
cannot be induced to go near the river for
fear of seeing horrible sights.
What starts the snakes seems to be
something of a mystery. A bunch of sew
eral thousand viii be stretched out on the
rocks as motionless as If dead. Suddenly
one moves, then another and another.
instantly the whole mass begins to wrig-
gle. Here and there the snakes glide over
one another uttering peculiar squeal that
is almost blood-curdhng.
Then the fun begins The snakes are
from five to six feet in length and thick
in proportion. Their bodies are CORE
spondingiy heavy, but they move about
with the greatest ease. All through the
wrigglng mass big fellows can be seen
raising themselves high in the air and
swapping their jaws, just as If they were
angry and would attack the first creature
that came near them. But il is all fun,
and when they get tired they draw out TO
one side and give some of the others a
chance.
In a few minutes the wriggling mass
somehow gets to moving in a circle. Round
and round they so. one trying to catch
the other, but never succeeding. The air
is now full of squeals of the bloodhound
ling kind
After the snakes have been "excersing"