Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-22
SNAKES AS RAT cATcHERs.
Many Harmless House Reptiles Are
Sure Death to the Rodent.

Sure Death to the Rodent.
Not long ago a London scientist,
who didn't mind being considered ec-
centric, suggested that supposedly
civilized people would profit greatly IL
they would revive the ancient custom
Of keeping house snakes He pointed,
Of course, to the custom which pre-
walls in parts Of India, where the ro-
dent-eating serpents are Of greater
value to man than cats.
In a small way the scientist hit upon
a big subject. It's size, indeed, is not
generally appreciated because of the
almost universal ignorance on the sub
ject of snakes. How many farmers,
for instance, will neglect an opportu-
nifty to kill a black snake? Yet, every
time they sacrifice one they are re-
moving an enemy to the rats, mice and
other small animals that take toll OF
many millions yearly from the grain
fields Of the nation.
| There Is, in America, beautiful.
big snake that Is model OF every
thing that servant Of man should
be.
He is, to begin with, good natured.
Even when wild, he may be picked up
and handled with impunity. Occa-
sionally, from fear, he will exhibit
temper. But few minutes or pettlng
will restore his accustomed good nu-
| NOR. -.
plenty of rats and mice. He wouldnt
harm a baby, II he came across one
unprotected. He Is not a constructor
that Is, he doesn't crush Things
with his body-and he can't be mace
| to bite human being. :,
This serpentine paragon Is the indi-
90 snake. He belongs to the aristo-
cratic family of racers, and ne ire
ouently attains length Of eight rect;
Numerically, though, he Is small, ana
most of him are found In tropical
America.
In some parts Of our southern states
his value Is recognized. He Is known
as a rat catcher and as such occupies
an honored place around plantations.
He even becomes a pet and children
play with him. Some scientists. sucn
as RAYMOND L. Ditmars believe that
he actually enjoys being handled.
The indigo or gopher snake is
close relative Of the green rat snake OF
the Mediterranean and the rat-catcn-
| ing snake of India But he Is a mucn
nicer and milder-mannered IeHoW
than the Indian variety. The latter is
nervous and wicked in manner. he 10
willing to catch rats, but ne doesnt
want to be bothered while he Is doing
| II or afterward.
mends the indigo snake to students as
the variety that will be least repui-
siye to timid persons and consequent
| Iv the easiest to study and handle.
From all descriptions there Is some
thing quite likeable about the big fei-
| low. He really seems the hanosome,
high-bred gentleman or the snake
tribe. What is perhaps more pracu
CAL he is more likely tnan many y. ats %
the others to confine his diet 70 rats
/ and mice. Allied species are not averse
to adding chickens and eggs to tneir
menus when on the hunt for rodents
Another close relative of the indigo
snake is the common black snake,
which ranges pretty Well over tne
United States. None OF the snAhe
tribe is more maligned ana less un
derstood than this fellow.
In the beginning, as Mr.. Ditmars
points out In one Of his reptile DOCKS
neither the black snake nor his reia-
tiyes. the whip snakes, are constric-
| tors The stories of their wrapping
Themselves around human beings are
the products Of highly excited imagi-
nations.
Again. the black snake Is not natur-
ally a fighter. He will put up orave
battle If cornered. But he is the QUICK
est reptile TO get away, when there is
| a way open, that can be imagined. he
darts off like a flash and makes gooo
his title to the tribe Of racers
| There are many kinds or racers,
some peculiar to the southern states
and others rowing all over the country:
They are handsome, bloodnke ano
they all feed on email animals-lh
other words on the animal pests Oh
the farmer In fact, the manner In
which certain parts Of the agricultur-
al districts are overrun with field mice
and rats is partly attributed to the
unnatural determination Of those TAR
mer's friends, who have been un1ustly
traduced from time immemorial.
All of them are harmless except that
they will strike when cornered, ano
even the much-berated black snake
becomes docile when kept in captlvity
short time Others don't, but thar
is not from devilishness, but nervous
ness. Being more finely drawn than
the big lubberly fellows, they are
somewhat more irritable when comm
ed. That Is ALL Not one Of them put
is a gentleman and scholar II leit
alone. A..
Another family which is friendly to
the farmer Is that OF the colupers.
| They differ in quite a variety OF ways
from the racers, as they are constrict-
ors-that is, they fold tnemselv,ees ,,es
around their prey and crush the llIe
out of 1t before beginning their meal.
The others merely pin their captives
to the ground with their bodies ana
swallow them regardless.
OF the colubers, there are the 1ox
snake. the pilot black snake and Vari-
Gus mouse snakes, chicken snakes,
house snakes, rat snakes and the like.
They attain good size, from five 10 SIX
| feet not being uncommon, and they
are alike in their appreciation OF rats
| and mice. Some or them, as lher
names indicate, are not averse to en-
riching their diet with eggs and young
chickens. But in the main, they live
on rodents and when they are not
killed off they do tremendous lot OF
good. In some parts Of the south
| their value Is recognized, but generally
speaking they meet the fate Of all ser
pents when the descendants of old
Adam come across them.
Mt. DitmarS tells the Sau ldle VI
IL.indheimer's coluber that he had In
captivity for half dozen years: This
variety often attains length OF eight
feet and is fond of rodents. The Dig
fellow in question would frequently
take over half a dozen full-grown rats
at a meal with evident relish. How
ever, he didn't like damp, and one
day, when his box had been washed
he grew discontented, managed to
push open the sliding door at the back
and escaped. Through window he
went, taking few flower pots after
| him.
Not for months could he be traced.
Then, one afternoon, there was ter
rible to-do raised about half mile
from Mr.. Ditmar's home. He didn't
reach the scene in time. A neighbor-
hood hero with a shotgun had got In
his deadly work before the naturalist
arrived. The cellar was full OF smoke
and contained, in addition, a mangled
and dead snake.
AS Mr.. Ditmars noted, he appeared
to be quite fat and well-nourished,