Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-06-13

most any man how to determine the
age of a rattlesnake, and he will at
once reply, by counting the rattles;
each rattle indicates a year." But
such is not the fact at all. Rattle
snakes shed their skins more than
once a year, and each time that the
skin is shed q new rattle" is added.
The number of joints or rattles, there
FORE do not indicate the number Of
years the snake has lived, but the
number of eXuviations which tho snal',
has undergone. The greatest number
of rattles authentically reported Is 21.
There used to be in the city of San
Antonio, Texas, a bar-room the walls
of which were made or rather covered
with rattles. 1t was one of the show
places of the Texas town. There were
| thousands of rattles in the room, and
made curious sight.
Another error that has caused some
persons to be bitten is the generally
| accepted theory that the rattlesnake
is so much of a gentleman that he
never strikes without first warning
you" Sometimes, unfortunately, the
snake cannot warn you. In wet wealth.
er or Immediately after a rain, the
rattles are often filled with water, and
no sound is produced by the snakes
efforts. 1t is not always safe rule,
therefore, to follow to allow for the
sound of the rattle. Better use your
| eyes.
The rattlesnake Is most often found
| in remote pine barrens and hummocks.
Also, he is frequently found in scrub"
oak bottoms. He Is not so fond of
water or damp places as is the mocca-
sin, preferring a dry, sandy country.
In the low country of this state it is
not a rare sight to find rattlesnake's
bed or wallow, alongside of or under
L tfN,, 10. .1,r 1o
Gus snakes to hunters because they
delight to stretch out or coil along logs
in the sun in paths, so that when a
person steps over the log they are
likely to place their foot squarely down
upon the snake, and generally receive
a strike. The strike of a rattlesnake
Is like lightning, and one will scarce
| ly have time to dodge the stroke once
it is aimed at one.
But all rattlesnakes are not the same
| rattlesnakes, fortunately. There are
two of them highly or nearly fatally
dangerous. These two are the c. hor
ridus, and the c. durissus. The bite
of either is always serious matter
especially Of the horridus. He is found
throughout the South Atlantic states.
and grows to his biggest size in Flor
| ida, where he Is called the diamond
back" Few persons bitten by these
kind of rattlesnakes report complete
recovery. Contrary to general knowl-
edge, the severity Of the bite depends
upon two things; first, the size of the
snake; secondly, the amount of poison
contained in the sack" of the snake.
If large diamond back rattler, whose
sacks" are filled strikes one, then
death Is the rule. Even where death
does not follow, in such cases the loss
of limb or a serious illness results.
The rattlesnake is not the only snake
that would give warning of his pres
ence If he could. There are numbers
of other snakes that set their tails in
violent motion on the approach of
supposed danger to them. 1t so hap
pens that the rattlesnake possesses
rattles anC can give warning often. 1t
Is very fortunate that the rattlesnake
does his foraging largely by night, or
there would be more fatalities to rec
ord as due to his spleen.
The Blacksnake.
But enough of poisonous snakes.
There Is a very common and useful
snake known to almost every person.
the blacksnake. Unfortunately some
persons do not seem to know Of his
value to mankind, or if they do they
disregard the knowledge on the ground
lIdby 1iuiohoj NhS Oitiy 6NOo
snake is a dead snake. The black
snake, or blue racer, as he Is often
called, is found in great numbers and
of various sizes in this state. He is
easily known by his blush color, with
no markings. He Is generally not far
removed from habitations, and some
times grows to nine feet in length.
When very large 1t is reported that
he consumes small chickens and birds.
However, they are entitled to few Of
these delicacies because Of the good
they do in Kidding ones places Of other
snakes and rats. He has no fangs and
is not poisonous. Belonging to the
constructor family, his methods are,
first, to catch his prey, and then to
fold them rudely in a killing embrace.
literally squeezing" them to death.
Anyone who has tried the experiment,
will know the awful power in the slim
body of a blacksnake. Their strength
is out of all proDortion to their size.
And not only is he good "hugger," but
he is somewhat "fast"-that is, moves
swiftly. No express train can excel
the top-speed of a large blacksnake.
1t is partly upon his quickness Of mo-
ton that the blacksnake depends to
conquer his antagonists in battle.
Naturally, the backsnake is a canni-
bal-like "Bosco," he "eats 'em alive
Some persons claim that the black
snake actually hunts down rattle
snakes, preferring them to other sorts
of snakes. Certain it Is that he will
never back-out of an encounter with
any sort Of a snake, not even his rival
the kingsnake. The blacksnake should
never under any circumstance (avoid-
able) be killed. Rather, should we en-
courage him around our premises, for
his presence argues immunity from
other snakes. Farmers who know the
value of blacksnakes would decline in
stantly the invitation to kill black
snake that lives about their barns.
For keeping down rates and lizards
they beat house cat by many lengths.
A Fight to the Death.
There is living down in Florida Mr..
S., a gentleman whose word Is
wholly to be relied on. He is the au-
thor of the following remarkable in
cident, which illustrates the prowess
and the usefulness of the blacksnake
! He said:
Some years ago, one afternoon to-
ward sundown, / was passing on horse
| back along an unfrequented SIDE
road near my home, in the hummocks,
when just ahead of me | observed a
large diamond back rattlesnake in mo-
tion travelling in the same direction as
| was. EVERY HOW dllu d6aii 'hS
snake would turn it's huge, ugly head,
lick out it's tongue and look searching
ly behind it in my direction. l was
persuaded that l was not the cause or
| it's disturbed demeanor. 1t had traV-
eled some distance as evidenced by
its trail in the sand. Suddenly, 1t stop
ped about twenty yards or more ahead
of me, and after looking intently IN
my direction for an instant, 1t began
to coil itself in a defensive position.
determined to go around the snake,
so turned my horses head to one side
out of the road. No sooner had quit
the road than l was startled to see a
very large blacksnake dart past me
right on the trail of his enemy, the
rattlesnake. The rattler was now
thoroughly alarmed and possibly mad,
for his coil was tense and his rattles
were furiously buzzing away.
When within a few yards OF the
rattlesnake, the big blacksnake stop
ped, raised it's head high, and swayed
| it from side to side several times. Get
| ting his measure | guess. AT any