Health on the Farm: A Manual of Rural Sanitation and Hygiene

by H. F. Harris

Much popular misapprehension exists on the subject of snakes, both as to the results of their bites and the appropriate treatment under such circumstances. It is not generally understood that a very large percentage of our American snakes are entirely harmless—the poisonous ones being decidedly more the exception than the rule.

Within the confines of the United States there exist only two families of venomous serpents. By far the most numerous are three genera of viperine snakes, including the rattlesnakes and moccasins; all of these have a pit-like depression between the nose and eyes, and hence are called pit-vipers. In the southern portion of our country there are two species of a colubrine genus closely related to the dreaded cobra of the East, one of them being called the coral-snake or harlequin snake, and the other, which occurs in the southwest, is known as the Sonoran coral-snake.

While there are three genera of vipers in America, two of them are so closely related, and present characteristics that are so similar that the ordinary observer would regard them as being identical, and inasmuch as the character of their poison seems in every way similar, for practical purposes it would seem desirable to include them under one head; in both genera, the species have rattles on the tips of their tails, the more common being the ordinary rattlesnakes (genus Crotalus), of which there are twelve species in the United States, and the ground-rattlesnakes (genus Sistrurus), of which there are two species.

Closely related to the rattlesnakes are the true moccasins, of which there are two species, one being the cotton-mouth or water-moccasin (Ancistrodon piscivorus), and the other the highland moccasin, pilot-snake or copper-head, (Ancistrodon contortrix).

The two species of poisonous colubrine serpents already referred to are known respectively as the Elaps fulvius, and the Elaps euryxanthus, both of which occur in the southern portions of the United States. These snakes are fortunately of a very mild disposition, and rarely attempt to bite, even when handled. That their poison is exceedingly deadly is attested by the fact that out of eight instances where it was known that persons were bitten by them, six died, and they should, therefore, be looked upon as among the most deadly of North American serpents. Mention should be made of the fact that there are at least six harmless reptiles that resemble the coral-snakes very closely, and as a consequence of the former being mistaken for the latter, the assertion has been frequently made by the ignorant that our elapine serpents are harmless.

A short description of the really deadly reptiles encountered in this country that would enable even the novice to distinguish them from those that are harmless would seem not inappropriate here, for where a person is bitten by a snake it becomes at once a matter of vital importance to determine, if possible, its true character. Most non-venomous serpents will viciously bite when cornered, and while they may produce slight wounds, with a small amount of bleeding, such injuries are entirely devoid of danger, and need occasion no fear on the part of the victim. There now follows a brief description of our venomous snakes, by means of which it will be easy for any one to distinguish them from their innocent relatives.

True Rattlesnakes.—There are twelve species of these reptiles in the United States, all of which, with but two exceptions, live west of the Mississippi. They vary very greatly in color, but the common eastern forms generally have alternate transverse yellow and brownish-black marks over their bodies. All possess rattles. The body of the snake is thick in proportion to its length, and the head, which is more or less diamond-shaped, is much larger than, and is quite distinct from the neck. The pupils of the eye are elliptical—a peculiarity which the pit-vipers alone possess of all the North American snakes. Between the eye and nose there is a comparatively deep depression or pit which gives to this group of snakes their name. There are two large, exceedingly sharp fangs in the front of the mouth, in the position of a dog's canine teeth, that are folded up against the roof of the mouth when the snake is in repose;—being brought forward in a position for stabbing as the serpent strikes. The scales on the under surface of the body back of the anus do not divide along the middle line into two rows, as in harmless snakes.

Ground Rattlesnakes.—There are two species of the pygmy or ground-rattlesnakes. They attain to a length of only about twenty inches, and present the general characteristics of the true rattlesnakes, with the exception that the rattle is small, consisting of but one single button at the end of the tail. These serpents are exceedingly vicious, and usually bite without warning. Contrary to the general opinion, however, the wounds they inflict are rarely, or never, followed by serious consequences in man. One species is southern. The other occurs from Ohio to Nebraska, where it is called massasauga.

Cotton-Mouth Moccasin.—The largest specimens of the cotton-mouth moccasin attain to a length of about six feet. The full grown reptile is of a dingy brownish-black color, but the young are pinkish, with coppery bands running transversely across the body. With the exception that this reptile has no rattles, it answers in its general peculiarities to the description already given of its near relatives the rattlesnakes. The cotton-mouth moccasin is semi-aquatic, being found around the edges of streams and other bodies of water.

The Copper-head, or Highland Moccasin.—This serpent is found from Florida and Illinois to southern Massachusetts; also in parts of Texas. The largest specimens have a length of about three feet. They resemble the cotton-mouth moccasin in their general peculiarities, being, however, somewhat lighter in color. The head has a coppery tinge, from which the snake gets its name, while the body is of a brownish color, with transverse Y-shaped bands of reddish-brown. Its favorite habitat is rocky hill-sides and the banks of mountain water-courses.