Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1928-05-25
GARTER SNAKES

request OF Mrs. IL. Is. BeckeS, Mrs.
c. E. Woods aged mother, who
would like to have me tell the story
of another little friend, the garter
snake. | am also glad to meet a
lady who understands and ap-
preciates the creatures that the
Great Creator has placed about us
and under man s authority. l have
met many women and girls who
would flee at the sight Of a little
snake like rabbit before a beazle.
With all the information on Nat
ural History that is available, be-
ing taught also in the public
schools, | can't understand this
womens fear of snakes, any more
than | can understand why in the
world they persist in wearing
shoes with heels so high they lit
orally walk on their toes and are
getting club-footed and working
up the calf of the leg under the
knee.
The snake family, known in
Zoology as the Order Ophidia, con-
tains over 1000 species. In North
America we have 30 genera and
i20 species. Our little garter snake
belongs to the genus Eutaenia.
They seldom exceed 80 inches in
length and are variously striped.
They are entirely harmless. My
granddaughter Alice has been in
the habit of picking them up and
carrying them about since she was
four or five years old. We have3
families of them. One about the
front porch. Today, April rs they
made their first appearance ON the
front porch, so Alice says. They
can be made regular pets.
The mole is our under ground
friend and the little garter snake
is as effective above the surface
for it eats all kinds Of m
sects and will get the carvings
Mrs. BeckeS assures me that they
also get the slugs. l did not know
that. Slugs are increasing alarm
ingly. They are everywhere. My
cabbage was full of them last year.
SO, don't kill the suckers, the
harmless snakes, that eat the pesky
bugs, and mice and slugs.
There are some snakes that. of
course, are to be dreaded, like the
Boa family and Anacondas of
South American and the Pythons
of Africa, some of them 80 to 40
feet long. The biologists Baird
and Girard found only one species
of this fierce order that can swal-
low deer and even an OK, in Amer
lea, and it will surprise you to
learn that this species is found in
our sister state or Oregon.
We have in different parts of
the U. S. the genus Crotalidoe, or
Rattle Snake Family. They are not
dangerous because they never
pursue one and always give time
ly and unmistakable warning
when you come within two rods
of them. The rattle snake has its
enemies and the King snake is one
of them. To illustrate let me tell
what two friends saw in Kansas
They were sitting on the porch
when suddenly rattle snake
dashed from under it onto the
lawn persued by King snake. The
Rather cooled up and the King
began to 90 around it in a circle
just outside striking distance Of
the RATHER. Faster and faster the
King circled about his victim un.
til the rattlers head fell to one
side. Then the King in a flash
wound himself around the RATHER
checked and killed it, and then be-
gan to swallow it commencing
with the head. The RATHER however
was a little too long, part of the
tail and the rattlers sticking out
of the mouth. One of the fellows
cut off the rattlers and has them
now if he has not lost them These
are quite authentic facts. Any.
how, on ordinary subjects the yer.
acity of these friends would not
be questioned. ! must relate what
happened to me in the eighties Of
the last century. / was in a place
called Long Island, Philips Co,
Kansas, There was also lady lee.
turing on the great subject of the
time, Prohibition. A woman nine
miles away in Lucor, Kansas had
been bitten by a very small rattle
snake. She was Immediately rush.
TO Long Island and her life was
saved by the doctor. That evening