Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1922-07-19
NATURALIST SAYS SNAKE
is SERVANT OF NATURE

Il
(By D. NJ. Cranston, Warden Of the
Wisconsin Conservation Commission)
Man is at war. with nature with
vengeance. He is rapidly destroying
her wonderful accumulation of natur-
al resources. In many ways he is
disturbing natures plans for keeping
her working forces balanced. Snakes
are one of natures working forces.
Their work, in natures plans, is de-
stroying pests, especially the rodents.
Practically all snakes feed upon ro-
dents. They accomplish natures
plans for them by preventing rats,
mice, moles, gOphers and other ro-
dents from becoming intolerable
pests. Most species Of rodents are
prolific breeders and without check,
by their enemy the snake, they would
soon become very destructive pest.
One investigator paired two COM
mon house-rats late in December. By
the middle of the next September he
had eight hundred and eighty rats.
Rodents are very destructive to the
crops and we need all Of natures
harmless snakes to hold them in
check.
Before the war the department OF
agriculture placed the annual damage
caused by rodents in the United States
at $500, 100000 The high prices pre-
vailing now has no doubt brought the
amount Of damages done by them up
to double that amount
The above proves mans indiscrim-
mate killing of snakes to be wrong
Millions of snakes crawl over Wis
consin in their hunt for rodents and
only two species, the rattlesnake and
the massasauga, are poisonous. These
two species should be eXterminated
in all countries where they are to be
found by the paying of bounty on
them.
Some snakes bring forth their
young alive and some produce their
kind by laying eggs to hatch in the
sunshine.
RattIesnakes bring forth their
young alive, the number being from
four to fourteen. AS soon as a baby
RATHER frees itself from the thin
transparent sack, in which it is born,
it is ready to coil and strike. 1t is
then also fully equipped with poison
and fangs.
The number of buttons in the rat
tie of a snake is no indication that
the snake is the same number OF
wears old. The RATHER develops a
point in his rattle each time he sheds
his outer skin. This occurs two and
sometimes three times a year.
During the month of September,
1915, a fellow warden and l had an
experience with rattlesnakes that
may be of interest to the readers OF
this article We are doing warden
scout work for the protection OF a
fine bunch of deer that were to be
found in the hills Of Honey Greek and
the Wisconsin river in Sank county.
One day we saw eight rattlers and
killed six of them, the other two get
ting into the rocks. Three of the six
killed were females, and cutting them
open. we took from them five, seven
and eight young snakes-a total OF
twenty. The next day we killed four
rattlesnakes and from three took four,
/ five and eight young snakes a total
/ OF seventeen.
The length of these young rattlers
was about fifteen inches and they
were well developed, lively little
cusses. The total for the two days
! was ten old snakes and thirty-seven
young snakes-a grand total of forty
seven.
If we had been out on RATHER hunt
at that time we could have made a
killing.
The greatest thrill ever given me
by a snake was received from pine
snake that was over five feet in
length. l was hunting bees and the
course taken by them from the bait
led me to tall Eastwood. It was
difficult to get view OF this tree be-
cause Of the leafy, thick growth OF
smaller timber surrounding it. This
led me to approach the tree and place
nv hands against it with the intent
Of taking a look directly up its side.
But | was abruptly interrupted by
flops about and below my right knee
that | instantly knew could be made
only by an entwining snake My first
view Of the Topping yellow spotted
snake made me think, RATHER, and
with a whirl and war-whoop that
would have done justice to an Indian,
[ gave a kick of desperation that flung
the snake twenty feet away from me-
had tread on the snake as it lay be-
tween spur roots of the tree.
The pine snake produces it's kind
by laying eggs and it is perfectly
harmless. It is a favorite with Boy
Scouts, and they often catch and play
with them Scouts are taught the
value of harmless snakes.-Selected.