The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-05-12
SNAKE HUNT IN FLORIDA.

The list of snakes to be found in
Florida would doubtless be a long
one. I couldn't give it to you. Most
of them are perfectly harmless.
Among the most common are the
gopher snake, of a beautiful dark
metallic blue, and which attains a
length of seven feet sure, for / held
one few moments last winter which
measured that. This snake lives in
the holes made by the gopher, as the
large land turtle is called, hence the
the name given him by the natives,
who attribute to him wonderful
capacity for exterminating rattle
snakes, which I doubt.
The coachwhip is another variety,
the flash of whose long, slender body
will become familiar sight to you.
He reaches six feet, too, but is slen-
der and a racer. His head and neck
are beautiful shade of brown, and
the rest of his body is covered with
brown lines exactly as if it had been
braided, and the leather color makes
the name of coachwhip particularly
appropriate.
Still another harmless snake is the
king snake, also called chicken snake
and rattle snakes pilot. But with
these innocents we are not concerned,
although if one runs over your boot
quickly at the moment you are stand
ing with nerves, a trifle tense, waiting
for the covey of quail to jump into
the air, it is just possible you may be
considerably concerned just for an in
slant.
There are three venomous snakes
in Florida-the diamond backed rat
tlesnake, the cotton mouthed mocca-
sin, the harlequin or coral snake.
The last named is really attractive
with his bands of brilliant black red
and orange, a small fellow two or
three feet long and slender. 1t was
in March that saw the first ones.
In blowing among the trees of an
orange grove three had been turned
up by the plowshare. They were
then very slow and apparently just
aroused from an all winter sleep. The
venom of this snake is entirely differ
ent from that of the two first named,
the same antidotes not seeming to
produce at all the same results, but
the little fellow is so peaceful that he
has to be provoked into striking, and
always rather run than fight.
A lad of eight years, son of the pro-
prietor of the place where I wintered,
was playing out doors early one
bright morning before the household
was afoot. He found one of these
snakes, repaired to the kitchen, where
he secured an old case knife, with
which he removed the head of his
victim and brought the body IN tri-
umph to his father. So much for
their temper. They simple don't
count.
The cotton mouth or weter rsoeee-
J, 5--sAa----O
not distinctly vicious is still worthy
of our respect. Like the costermong-
er, che loves to lie basking in the
sun" aud if you will go to the swamps
in the warm months you will find him
lying at length on the roots and low
limbs of the cypress trees, from which
he will slide quickly into the water
on your approach. He is a dirty
color, a brown with dull markings,
his mouth a snowy white, whence
his name. How long he can live
under water l never could find out,
but know for considerable time.
I imagine he is much like frog in
in this respect. Not many are bitten
by him, for he is shy and would rath-
er avoid trouble if possible. His
bite is about on par with the rattle
snakes, and the same remedies are to
be employed.
knew a man down there who was
once standing on the shore of one of
the small lakes in soft mud, when he
felt something moving under his foot
he looked down and saw a good sized
moccasin struggling to escape-and
he let him. The diamond back. Ah,
here we have the villain Treacher-
Gus, vicious, deadly, blackguard.
Florida is just right for him, hot,
dry, and sunny, with thick palmettos
and dense hammocks wherein he may
hide. Fortunately, he is not in evil
dence during the winter and no sports
man need hesitate to go afeld up to
March L.
If you want skins as I did, get a
native with a small pack of fox
hounds. Most of thes dogs have had
more or less experience with rattlers,
and if they find one they will bark in
peculiar way and they will keep
watch on that snake till you arrive,
when you can shoot him in the head
with small rifle, or take him with a
wire snare on the end of pole.
got several good skins, the largest
measuring feet inches long and
and nearly Iz inches in circumference
Some of theseI had tanned in the
natural color, not brown, the others
cured myself by stretching on a
board, heshing, drying and then ap'
plying vaseline for week, the resi-
due being finally removed with sof
cotton. Skins preserved in this man
ner retain very natural appearance
but are affected by the dryness ol
dampness of the atmosphere and cur
some. 1t said that after year ol
two the scales come off. This I can
not vouch for. Doubtless tanning i.
the most permanent method of pre-
serving the beautiful hides-for the
skin of diamoud back is beautiful
For est and Stream.
ITO BE frank, this is pretty bur
cooking, old man."
"I know it, but my wife is JUS
out of college"
"Still, wouldn't let her haze me. ,
"IF it's a nice day come and tax
o,.A4 XXTa1rocdaxy -