The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-03-09
FIRST SNAKE
OF THE SEASON
SEEN At MULAT
HOGS HAVE DESTROYED MANY
OF THEM, AND CAUSES SIM
OTIS TO TELL SOME TALES OF
SNAKES HE HAS SEEN.
SPECIAL TO THE JoURNAI.

SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL.
Muiat. March 8.-The first snake of
the season, so far as The Journals
representatives observation. extends,
was seen three days ago by him. It
was small moccosin, which wriggIed
laboriously into the marsh. In speak
ing of the incident to Mr.. Sim Otis at
his store, that gentleman said that rot
many years ago, the woods adjacent
10 the bayou on his farm, abounded in
SNAKES, both of the venomous and
the harmless species: but strangely
that they have almost entirely dtsap-
peared, until you rarely see a mecca
sin, and still less frequently a rattle
snake.
Il account for this" said Mr.. Otis,
upon the fact that for a few years
past, the people around here have been
raising hogs extensively, which have
been allowed TO roam at large Con-
sequently the swine have pried into
every unfenced spot around 1ulat, and
rooted up every foot of ground, in
their search for worms and edible
roots: and have killed the venomous
sna kes. or made them cross the bayou.
On the other side of the bayou in the
marsh grass, where no animal ever
goes except an alligator. plenty Of rat
tlesnakes can still be found AS rule
ISt
wriggle along, and make slow
progress; whereas, the non-venomous
kind, glide. slipping over the ground
with amazing rapidity. Hogs can
overtake and kill rattlesnakes and
moccasins very easily; but Black
snakes and coachwIlips run like a race
horse, and you still find them in the
woods here. Hogs have peculiar an
tipathy to rattlesnakes and kill every
one thy find
DO not the rattlesnakes bite the
hogs in their encounters?' said The
Journal man.
Hogs Snake Proof.
Probably they do" said Mr.. Otis: |
but q hog cares nothing for that, be-
cause he is snake proof. Blacksnakes
kill rattlesnakes, also, and aid in their
determination. I never saw a rattle /
snake kill a blacksnake, but know the /
blacksnake viii destroy a RATHER
wherever he finds one. However
witnessed q reptilian combat between
a blacksnake and large moccasin, a I
short time ago, concerning which, 1 /
will give you a short account, if you /
care to listen to it,
II certainly will be pleased to hear
it,, said The Journal representative. |
WELL said Mr.. Otis, "a short time
ago. was passing along the back
part of my farm going to see one Of /
my men cutting wood and coming by /
a small pool of muddy water, 1 saw
a. blacizsnake lying near it. that glided i
into the bushes at my near approach. /
Coming back that way after an hours i
time, I saw the snake lying at the /
same spot. I threw a small stick at I
him and he again glided into the j
shrubs. wondered why he could be /
lying by the stagnant pool, and |
thought it must be to catch frogs TheI
next day in visiting the lower part OF |
my farm. I thought I would go by
that pool to see If the bIacksnake was |
stfH haunting it. When rea cHaed the
place, beheid a writhing mass of
reptiles, squirming and twisting over
the muddy ground in a mad wrestle for |
supremacy. AT first was not anle to
detect what kind of a fight 1t was
supposed the struggling mass to be |
snakes, but what kind, I could not
tell, so violent the contortions Of the |
writhing vipers. Finally. during luIl |
in the mill, saw that my late ac-
himself many times around a large
moccasin. embracing his neck so close
TO his head that he could not bite, /
squirn as he would. OF course could i
not ascertain how long the fight had !
been going on. before arrived. I
would have given much to see the
opening OF the battle, and to witness
the blacksnake's mode of attack. I
now know the secret of the black
snakes long. patient vigil on the brink
of the muddy pool. He was awaiting the
coming of the moccasin, whose coming |