The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-05-28
THE SNAKES OF THE SOUTH.
Harmful Ones Seem to Have Stronger
Eangs.

Fefore the jaws Of picked snakes in
the Museum Of Natural History last
week lounged "a tall, slender man. VINO
surveyed the specimens with interest and
knowledge.
isn't that hideous?" appealed a young
woman. indicating with shudder VII
lain of water snake colled MEME III Ills
bottle of alcohol.
"Hldeous. madame. but perfectly harm
less" answered the tall slender man.
assigning the appeal TO himself 10
voa notice what a short. thick neck and
small head the fellow has? Well, II YOU
are ever alone in a field or forest ana
observe a snake in your path with neck
as fat at this one as slender hedu'
don't scream or faint or run away LOT
you may rest certain ne IS po"eIlesS
10 iniure YOU. All harmless snakes
nave inst such long. slim heads attached
10 short. coarse necks nearly as large
as Il moi larger around than their heads.
sBpt when YOU find a serpent with
head diamoul or heart shaped keep
clear Of him for he is sure TO be poison
otIs 1-ne harmful snakes diner in IN - way
from the harmless ones. Their jaws, TOO,
are better indicated and are broader ana
stronger. Likewise there Is much Din
erence in the necks. which. In the case
OF poisonous snakes, are long ana sleh-
der.
.There are few varieties Of poisonous
snakes in this country continued the
tall. slender man. as others grouped
around him and asked for herpetologica
enligbtenment. THE really deadly
snakes are the cOttonmOuth and high-
land moccasins: the rattlesnake called IN
someiocalities the diamond back; the tiny
ground rattlesnake, which liners from
the big rattlers I'm that he is vastly IN
ferior I'm size and has no rattles at the end
OF his tail. and the elapse. which Is more
often called the thunder snake or calico
snake. the latter name being given him
because Oh his brilliant colors.
"rhe ground rattlesnake and the
elopse are found I'm the extreme South
where ] come from. and the bite OF the
latter is exceedingly dangerous. AFTER
he strikes, his victim becomes droWsy
and lethargic like a man under the In
nuence of an Opiate. and loses conscious
ness. the continuation of which Is inVar-
fablv fatal The ground rattlesnake is
poisonous. although not quite 80 danger
Gus as the big rattler, which IS no doubt
owing 10 the small size of his fangs.
They cannot penetrate TO the depths
reached by the fangs OF the big rattler,
and therefore do not distribute the poison
as surely and as quickly. for fangs are
simply hyperdemic syringes, and the
deeper I'm they 90 the greater the victim $
peril. This is one reason why the bite
of n snake in the South is more serious
than the bite of the same kind in the
North The fangs of the Southern SER
pent are larger and are set In stronger
jaws.
various snakes have enemies which
thev dread and avoid. The rattlers fear
til IL Ii small green
tile which hunts for rattlers and stran-
giles them when found. Others fear the
unromantic 'razor-back' hog, which. by
the way. is a very much underestimate
creature. He Is more courageous than
many ouaurupeds of accredited valor and
runs about the Southern swamps in
search OF snakes. which he destroys and
eats by the wholesale. He has pref
erence for rattlers and moccasins, TO
whose poison he seems invulnerable-
No one ever heard of 'razor-back' sue
cumbing TO snake bite
But the common and most imDlacable
enemy 20 all snakedom is the industrious
ant which esteems snake flesh choice
dainty. When snake is cut or bruised
he slouphs his skin and then II Is good
bv TO him, for the voracious ants soon
overwhelm him and devOur him alive.
Even a perfectly sound and healthy snake
which has come in contact with dead
or injured member Of his tribe suffers
similar fate II the ant gets wind OF him.
The reputed wisdom OF the serpent
is a deluslon He has little or no brains
and is a natural born fool. lie learns
nothing from experience and is powerless
10 resist or overcome the wiles Of his
enemies. He does not attack man and
rarely offers combat to other serpents
or to animals. The great majority OF
his kind are timid and cowardly IL
amuses me 10 read stories told OF the
fierce manner in which the big snakes OF
this country have fought with men
how they have sprung up and struck at
tho breasts, necks or heads OF assailants.
A RATHER cannot strike much above his
coils and with few exceptions all shake
bites are confined TO exposed places near
,ha knees or on the arms or hands.
T.Do~. a4..AA aha darkies are great