The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-09-28
/ DEADLY REPTILE
The de-lance the Most Ven
onIous Of Al Serpents.

The Fer-de-lance the Most Ven.
omous Of ~ Serpents.
IT'S STING 4 DEATH WARRANT
lisele Chance Fer . viesism % de
Fanss sf This Teeree - tise island
- AAaseiaiqu-Tho cae and de Mem
seees ~ Aaess Formidable Enemiss.
Every one = perfectly well awars
that thece exists Q large number Of
veDomocs ssspents-we have many Of
them r1ghs here in the United states;
the eat1lar. for sxample-but probably
no Other spoe in the known world has
such Q death dealing reptile ~ has the
Preach Island Of Martinique. nesting
In the Mmpad blue watsrs Of the Garth
bean sea. 1t - The ferde-lance. SCI
enu0cally known - Tr1goneephalus
lanesaatus. that can beyond the shad-
ow Of doubt lay claim 70 being the
most deadly serpent Of the earth. Its
sting means almost certain death
Thsee are eight distinct varieties.
the most common being . dark gray
and black speckled. which eosoring
soabIes Il to conceal itself easily
among roots and stumps Of trees. An
other variety y clear. bright yellow.
and when hidden In the freshly cut
cane It can hardly b distinguished
from the stalks. Il may also be q dark
yellow or coal black with q yellow
belly.
Il b not Q large snake, rarely ex-
ceeding Owe feet In length and in CIR
eumfesencs approximately the sise Of
Q child's arm. To repeat. the sting
means almost certain death. and
should not the service Of Q physician.
oe ''panseur." a. the natives call him.
b obtained within . very short time
the venom does its deadly work-ths
desh grows cold. softens, becomes
pulpy, changes In color. quickly BE-
gins to spot. and Q great chilliness
creeps through the blood This lasts
only q few minutes-possibly half an
hour-then death.
II the victim 10 fortunate enough to
get q physician upon the scene post
haste and no artery or vein has been
pierced there II hope-just . faint
bope-but even If life n saved the dan
ger II not entirely removed, for in
many cases necrosis Of the tissues fol-
lows The desh corrupts and falls from
the bones. and the body molders AZ
does q tree.
There is. however, q heroic method
Of treatment often brought into use
By the Aartiniquans. It Is the Inn
mediate amputation Of the leg or arm
II the sting happens to be In either.
Even this has to b done at once and
before the venom circulates through
the system. There are to b seen
today upon the island many natives
with limbs missing, and in the ma
5ority OF cases it is the result Of hav-
ing the machete. or cane knife. ap-
piled after an experience with . fer-de-
JancA
The ferde-lancs u nghter-and no
mistake about it-aggressive and pug
nacious. and domestic animals, with
the cat a. the one exception. stand a
very poor show in q battle. Pussy, In
about nine cases out OF ten, viii come
out of the scrap with colors flying be-
cause Of the fact that 1t Is apparently
quite a. quick in movement and at the
same dime uses what may be termed
ring generalship
There u but one animal other than
the cat that successfully wages war
upon the fer-de-lance. It is the mon
Goose Cichneumonl imported from In
dia . number Of years ago for the
cole purpose Of getting rid OF the
snakes.
OF the weasel family and looking
vsey much like It, this little animal II
absolutely fearless % far ~ snakes
are concerned and WIN just Al readily
tackle one I've feet in length a. ono
o foot long. From the mongoose the
1ee.de-lance win dee, but II cornered
win put mp . great light. using ev-
cry trick at tts commando useless
sort Of contest. however, for within
Q short time It win be stretched out
Nfeless.
A battle between these two natural
enemies - well worth witnessing. It
- never q limited" tight. but to Z
6nish always. and probably the snakes
By this dime have come to understand
that when they enter such . combat
Il II with the odds greatly against
them.
The mongooss 10 quite as clever 4
ring general ~ the cat and uses that
gift to advantage. Strategy more than
strength - tn asset.
When they meet. and II the snake
sees no avenue Of escape. it prepares
for battle. ~ does the mongoose. but
In q more leisurely manner. It takes
about one minute for them to get fully
prepared There Il no shaking hands,
% to speak. a BY prizenghters-
The mongoose circles about the rep
tile. always 1t . safe distance and
drawing Ore" inviting It By moving
closer and closer to dart ont its head
and then quickly Jumping out Of
harms way. Is torments In every