Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices Mea yury a) ianom Jig a tie ! Soly aS $30 . ’ a ) : ‘ - Rice Se — x - a toed ay | | e tar ie ‘ wT ey f nn) «sae er sm * + (ei otis a 0) bp eos oo yWratoer ye a eRe api ealart ey oe Do. ‘ey Biss ‘ate ened ae: he (hy fer ~ ¥ “SG lg oe mn nm oa sal, iz fy @ ‘ ; : TED ge ol PARTME aaa eae FC yb xe ee es aagil a | oe _ oe WSEKEEPERS!' CHAT Friday, March 15, 1935. ) (FOR BROADCAST USE OC... 7) abject: "SNAKE STORIES." Information from the Bureau of Biological Survey, ited States Department of Agriculture. ~-00000-- That story about St. Patrick and the snakes in Ireland started me thinking ist night about some good sneke stories I've heard from different scientists in @ Bureau of Biological Survey. You lmow, we human beings are probably more eect itious about snakes than about any other creatures that crawl. So once a far when we're thinking about St. Patrick, we might take time to tall over the ne facts about snakes as the scientists have discovered them, versus old dperstitions. Take the case of the coach-whip, for example. The coach-whip is a slender, fift-moving, brownish—black snake of the southern and southwestern part of the hited States -- entirely harmless to man. Yet it has long been a terror to the Mored population of the South, and many wierd stories are in circulation of eroes found dead in the road from being whipped to death by one of these snakes. yu see, the coach-whip has a habit of raising the fore part of its boy when Paveling. And if you happen to be in the front looking back and see the swift- Bving snake advancing with its head about a foot in the air -- well, white folks. lack folks, and all other kinds of folks usually follow the first impulse to apart hurriedly for parts unknown. Maybe you've heard a rumor that some snakes steal milk from cows. There's lother impossible idea. In order for a snake to close its mouth and suck milk, b would have to sink its fangs into the cow, ».nd you don't have to know much lout cows to know that even the most placid isn't going to stand still and let "Snake do this, That ought to be sufficient proof that snakes don't suck milk bWS ——- not even the variety known as the "milk snake." me Perhaps you've heard the myth of a dangerous snake that tales the end its tail in its mouth and rolls like a hoop and in this position can outrun ® fastest horse in the country. This account refers to the horn snake, a armless snalze that never had any idea of traveling hoop-fashion. It isa | Oi¥ish black snalce with a few red bars across its belly, and its tail tapers to ‘fine point giving it the appearance of a horn or spike. But this spike, cont rary to rumors, is quite harmless and incapable of stinging anything. Another snalze that has caused mony unwarranted fears is the puffing der. You may have heard of it by one of its many other names. It is also called the spreading viper, the blowing adder, the hissing viper, and the and snake. And it is actually one of the greatest bluffers among all snakes, ‘It is harmless but many superstitious stories aie told about its poisonous venom, ve even heard that its breath will ill a person twenty feet away. Actually ither its breath nor its bite can do you harm. This snake is not poisonous, d its teeth are too short to inflict a wound even if it tried to bite youe : gigs of ; : é e2A0u1 if f oe 1 Pro we el at ate » dees act Be (eee ee Sg eek aie os ee ie SAL lSs Se 8) gon _ - eat ‘eolgeloat 2: eS Mane eR. 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R&I ted Serge yo + ea : * TR as vine f "i % ': AO Rafech root loa to = Ge yet ‘ee tack wre £ 527 anc: ‘o? @W2w Gite ole yA atte Oa “wettian- 4e aged 5.7 4a oi aes we wate 7 ys Signe ic. aldegirgs Las Ra eae | oPieey at all ' gel'vio of? of ete) Setuetedeey waa Sons wale ets ete % thy mie ol Sl. ype qlee we af to ono ee BE Oe Pena. oral “aa - "ot ao ano Gael ole aehke gatnatd at 1 m, eters Cle yee wo Thald deedowes, off We =e aE ae Hees jaw cat atl od Siet Oa atdn “ mane (eee Mrurmin: tag of i Be oie cored core se uct one ery $s as - 4 «a ribet of rey ? 2 wom sachty iy i ot ead ene 2 Te rr . eles 1% 2 as We have listened all our lives to these superstitious stories about snalzes, and many of us have just taken it for granted that all snales are dangerous and should be killed on sight. That's a sad mistake. Actually most makes are beneficial ~- helpful to the farmer -- and should not be killed hout cause. Snakes eat large mumbers of insects and mice, many of which are ous to garden crops and especially to stored grains and foodstuffs. Kingsnalces vsed to be considered poisonous. They are not. Kingsnakes are able to kill rattlesnalkes and have been known to eat them. In this case, ov see, a harmless snake befriends man by helping him get rid of another snake hat is dangerous. Chicken snakes and black snakes sometimes steal eggs and even eat young licks, but you can stov such losses by snake-proofing your poultry buildings. fen, instead of having chicken dinners, these snaes will include mice, rats, ung rabbits, and insects on their mem. ‘ But some fey snakes really are poisonous, and in the vicinity of human ibitations they should be killed for safety's sake. Harlequin snalzes are poisonous. They often resemble scarlet lcingsnakes, d are found from South Carolina across to Arizona and southward to South lericae Learn to distinguish between these two snakes and kill only the wrlequin; Icecp and protect the lingsnale. 4 A group of poisonous snaies called the pit-vipers occurs throughout ee te and a. America. To this class belong rattlesnakes, cotton-mouth tor moccasins, and copper heads. Of course, you. mist know that thore are many different !cinds of rattle- aes. The diamond-back rattler of the Sovth is aiong the most excitable and dSt Vicious of all the North American vit-vipers. Steer clear of rattlesnalzes. tale chances around rocky cliffs, or other places where these snales stay. ttlesnakes are not given to tree climbing, but they do often stay in swamps! The cotton—mouth water moccasin of the South is vicious, irritable, and iaacious. This snalze is next to the most poisouous snake in our country. The amond—bacl- rattler talzes first place because of its size. Steer clear of these mies. They may bite immediately when disturbed, and have been Iznown ~ven to ack and bite without any noticeable provocation. The copperhead is a very poisonous snake. It frequents roclky places in bain parts of our northcastern Statcs in the vicinity of timber, marshes, and Badoned stone quarries. It is also found in the South on high, dry ground. a5 Snalce usually attempts to escape, but is very dangerous when cornered. It Smo warning of its presence as does the rattlesnale, and can strike in any bion instantly. a. se ¥) = ) . 4 bigs b, : ‘ . + ~ r au seat boris ¢ [tee yee i ay ut. al rad lige i 4 Bh She Amery wae % pag ~ : ae Pa * as 5 . pane ; f mss, , - ; s y uae . - oe lows g ee + . 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Ugh Vested) aan Brey : ‘ nl rca “ a : -. e : i o .* nat & “he ~~ cai apa - Patt | RS Met Re ee 7 pee rte’ iy be, tale st ais Aa a Te eee, qa hens et. oft eiitaye ~ -~ 4- : Ordinarily a snake can strile about three-fourths of its length, so keep ir distance around one that is poisonous. If bitten by one, bleed the wound, possible put a ligature between it and the heart, releasing it at intervals, d get to a doctor in the shortest possible time. Antivenin is the name of the um that is the most successful means of combating the poison of a snake bite. These are the St. Patrick's Day Greetings sent to you by the Biological rvey, of the United States Department of Agriculture. If you care to follow is up further, you can get additional information by writing to the Chief of e Bureau, in Washington, D.C. Apt iririer as way ; a A] ved hitere Oe . oR ey a: 's has