The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1901-10-19
RATTLERs BEING ROUTED.
The Deadly Reptiles of the south.
western Country Are Rapidly
Becoming Extinct.

The rattlesnake, whose fayorite
haunts for many years past have peen
among the rocky wastes of Arizona,
seem doomed to extinction. Not only
do the human beings living in those re-
gions wage a relentless warfare upon
the reptiles, but enemies OF
their own kin and birds of the air prey
upon them both night and day, so that
the lot of the RATHER is far from a
happy one. The places that once re-
sounded to his blood-curdling rattle
now know him no more, and only in
isolated spots is he found in any con-
siderable numbers.
TO the advance of civilization and the
unremitting warfare of the road run
ner and the king snake may be attrib-
uted the determination of the RATHER.
Wherever irrigation has found its way
the rattlesnake has been driven to
higher ground, and there the pros
pector and miner have slain him when
ever and wherever found. The road
runner, that long-legged, feathered
warrior, the fighting cock of the des-
ert. has done his part, and has done it
well, says the Chicago Chronicle.
Much resembling, hut more lightly
constructed than the fighting cock, the
road runner is one of the most dreaded
enemies of the RATHER. In fact, so
great are his snake-killing proclivities
that heavy penalties are provided by
the territorial statutes as a protection
to him from the gun of the hunter.
Apparently immune to the venom in
the poison sac of the RATHER, the road
runner attacks the largest snake with
impunity, and was never known to lose
a fight. Frequently, indeed, the road
runner has been known to battle with
and kill a pair of large diamond rat
tiers whose total weight was five times
that of his OWL
Not so common an enemy to the rat
~tlesnake, but no less deadly is the king
snake, a large species of the bull snake
family. Rarely seer in the lower coun-
tries, but often found in the northern
forests and higher mountains, the king
snake wages constant warfare on the
RATHER, and when his great, 1.-THE form
coils around the body of the rattle
snake the life of the latter is a matter
of only a few seconds.
Herbert Housland, a prospector,
had an experience with a RATHER, n
king snake and a road runner a few
days ago which he will not soon for
get. He was with a party in the
Bradshaw mountains, south of Pres
colt, and was guarding camp for the
day. He had lain down to sleep. when
he was suddenly aroused to find a
great rattlesnake coiled upon his
breast.
81 almost suffocated from fearing
to breathe lest l should be bitten
he said. THE snake was greatly ex-
cited, and in a minute | saw the
cause. A king snake was trying to
excite the RATHER to combat, and my
person was the chosen battle-ground
The king snake had probably forced
the RATHER to refuge upon my body
and, following up his aggressive tao.
tics, was running in a circle around
the RATHER very rapidly, He crossed
my body from left to right and my
thighs from right to left and with.
in less than a foot of the rattler's
body.
"The velocity of the snake was most
wonderful. 1t seemed to be one con,
tinuous ring, and part of the time
could seemingly see three or foul
rings at once. / made a slight move
ment with my right foot, which at
tracted the rattler's attention for ar
instant, and that was fatal to him
At that one false movement of hi.
eyes the king snake darted in ant
seized the RATHER by the throat clos,
up to his head and began Instant,
to coil around his victim.
"They rolled off me in their dealt
struggle and became one tangled
mass for ten minutes, when the rat
tiers sounds died away gradually
While I lay exhausted from my frigh
a road runner darted out of a bush
and, grabbing the two snakes in hi
beak, began to drag them away. TIL
weight was too great, but he killet
the king snake by a blow from hi
long bill and ran away as I arose
I threw the two reptiles into tn
bushes and there the bird and hi
mate devoured them"