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The Poisonous Snakes of North America

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The Poisonous Snakes of North America THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF NORTH AMERICA. I^EONHARD STEJXEGEK, Curator, Department of Reptiles and Jlatrachians, U. S. National Aluseum. H. Mis. 184, pt. 2 22 337 — — CONTENTS. fage. Table of contents 339 Prefatory note 345 The so-called " liarmless " poisonous snakes 345 Detinition of poisonous snakes 346 "Suspected " snakes 34(j Opistlioo;lyi>bs 347 Experiments by Peracca and Dereyibus 347 By Duges 348 By Eitfe 349 By Vaillant 349 Niemann's investigation of the glands 319 Quelch's experience 350 Is it essential for a venomous snake to possess (jrooved fangs 350 Synopsis of the Opisthoglypb snakes occurring in tbe United States 351 Tbe Coral Snakes—family Elaplda' 351 Are the coral snakes poisonous 351 Mimicry and confusion with other snakes . 352 Proteroglypbs 352 Mr. F. W. True's account of a celebrated case of coral snake bite 353 Other cases 354 Bite of coral snake is dangerous 355 Alleged smallness of mouth erroneous 355 Affinity of the Elaps to the Cobra 355 Comparison between the Elaps and its Jiarmless imitators 356 Natural history of the PLlapida' occurring in the United States 358 Genus Elaps 358 Poison apparatus 358 Synopsis of species in the United States 359 Harlequin Snake Elaps fiilriiis 359 Synonymy 359 Figures 360 Descrii)tion 360 Variation 360 Geographical distribution 361 Habits 362 Souorau Coral Snake Elaps eitriixaiithiis 362 Synonymy 362 Description 362 Geographical distribution 363 The Pit Vipers-family Croialhhv 363 The "pit" 364 Organ of a si xth sense 364 339 340 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893. The Pit Vii^ers—family fVofa 7j(?fP—Contimied. Page. ' Leydig's in vestigatious of the ' pit " 364 Peculiar to the crotalids 365 Poison ap)>aratus 365 Osteology 366 Mnscles 367 Fangs - 368 Reserve fangs 368 Poison gland 369 Poison dnct 370 Does the poison duct enter the fang? 370 Niemann's account of it 370 Wyman's account 371 Johnston's account 371 Muscles acting on gland 372 Hyjioderniic syringe 373 Poisonous Huid 373 The bite 373 Controversy about the movements involved 374 Action as described by Dr. Mitchell 375 Headless snakes strike 379 Prof. Brewer's adventure 380 Catlin's adventure 380 The rattle 380 Description 381 Internal structure *38l Garmaii on the development of the rattle 382 Ratio of growth 384 Sloughing 384 Feoktistow's ol)servations on the rattle 384 Quelth on the same subject 385 Number of joints in rattle 386 Shape according to age .387 Position when sounded 387 Sound 388 Feoktistow's investigation of number of vibrations 388 Ott's experiment 388 Purpose of the rattle 389 Evolution of the rattle 391 Deri vation of the rattlesnakes 392 Power of " charming " 392 Kalm's explanation 393 Mitchell's opinion 394 Brehm's experien ce 394 Hypnotism suggested 395 Alleged fetid smell 396 Rattlesnake dens 396 Hudson's explanation 397 Breeding habits 398 " Do the snakes swallow their young?" 398 Mimicry of crotalid snakes 399 Natural history of the pit vipers of the United States 401 Synopsis of the genera 401 Genus Agkistrodon 401 Synopsis of species in the United States 401 — —— — — CONTENTS. 341 The Pit Vipers—family Crotali dee—Contunied. Page. The Copperhead Aijkhtrodon contortrix 401 Syuouyiiiy 401 Figures 402 Remarks to syuouymy 402 Description 402 Variatiuu 404 Geographical distribiitiou 404 Habits 405 The Water Moccasin Aakistrodon piscivorits 406 Synonymy 406 Fign res 406 Description 407 Variation 408 Geograpliical distribntion 408 Habits 408 Genns Sistriinis 410 Synopsis of species in the United States 410 The Massasauga Sistrunis caienaius 411 Synonymy 411 Figures 412 Description 412 Variation 413 Geographical distribution 413 Habits 414 The Gulf-coast Massasauga— <Sjs<cm)-»s catenatus consors 415 Synonymy 415 Figures 415 Kemarks 415 Description 415 Edwards' Massasauga Sistnirns catenatus Edwardsii 416 Synonymy 416 Figures 417 Description 417 Variation 417 Geographical distribution 417 Habits 4 18 The Ground Rattlesnake Sistninis miliarhis 418 Synonymy 418 Figures 418 Description 418 Variation 419 Geographical distribution 420 Habits 420 Genus Crotalns 421 Synonymy 421 Geographical distribution 421 Synopsis of species in United States 423 The Dog-faced Rattlesnake Crotalus molossus 424 Synonymy 424 Figures 424 Description 424 Variation 425 Geographical distribution 426 Habits 426 —————— 1 342 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893, The Pit Vipers— family Croialida'— Coutiinied. Page. The Baiuled Rattlesnake Croiahts horridiis 426 Synonymy 426 Figures 427 Description 427 Variation 429 Geographical distribution 429 Habits 43 The Di.aniond Rattlesnake Crotalus adamaiiieus 433 Synonymy 433 Figures 433 Description 434 Variation 435 Geographical distribution 435 Habits 435 The Texas Rattlesnake Crolahin atrox 436 Synonymy 436 Figures 437 Description 437 Variation 438 Geographical distribution 439 Habits 439 The Red Diamond Rattlesnake— C>v>/a/«s uirox ritbtr 439 Description 439 Variation 440 Geographical distribution 440 Habits 440 The Prairie Rattlesnake Croiahis conjiutniHS 440 Synonymy 440 Figures 441 Description 441 Variation 443 Geograjihical distribution 443 Habits 444 The Pacific Rattlesnake Crotalus lucifcr 445 Synonymy 445 Figures 445 Descrijition 445 Variation 417 Geographical distribution 417 Habits 449 The Tiger Rattlesnake Croiahts tUjvis 449 Synonymy 449 Figures 449 Variation 450 Geographical distribution 450 Habits. 450 The Horned Rattlesnake Crotalus cerastes 450 Synonymy 450 Fignves 451 Description 451 Geographical distribution 451 Habits 452 The Green Rattlesnake— C/-o^«/(/s Icpidiis 452 Synonymy 452 —— CONTENTS. 343 The Pit Vipers—family Crotali(l(r—Contm\ied. Page. The Green Rattlesnake Croiahis Icpidu.s— Contiuned. Description 452 Variation 453 Geographical distribntion 453 Habits 453 The White Rattlesnake— ('(o^i/hs AIUcIkUH 454 Synonymy 454 Description 454 Variation 455 Geographical distribution 456 Habits 456 The Red Rattlesnake Crotaltis MUcheUli purrhns 456 Synonymy 456 Figures 456 Description 456 Geographical distribution 457 Habits 457 The poison of the poisonous snakes 457 Historical 457 Methods of investigation 4.58 Methods of obtaining poison 458 Physical characteristics 459 Chemical characteristics ... 460 Acids 4C0 Alkaloids 460 Proteids 461 Recent investigations and discoveries 461 Mitchell and Reichert's researches 461 Wolfendeu's results 463 Martin and Smith's studies 463 Feoktistow's investigations 464 Kaufmann's studies of the viper venom 465 Kaufmann on the action of chromic acid 466 Calmette's experiments 467 The search for antidotes 468 Alcohol 469 Ammonia 469 Strj chnine 469 Physiological action 469 Historical 470 Mueller's discovery 470 Opposition to Mueller's treatment 470 Mueller's reply 471 The strychnine treatment in India 473 The search for a physiological antidote goes on 473 Yarrow's investigations and experiments 473 Jaboraudi 473 Strophanthus 474 The elimination of the poison by the system 474 Treatment 475 A rational treatment 475 Instruments 477 Kaufmann's directions for injecting chromic acid 477 Preventive inoculation 478 Sewall's experiments 478 344 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893. The poison of the poisonous snakes—Continued. Page. Preventive inoculation —Continued. Immunity of snakes against venom 479 Experiments of Pliisalix and Bertraud 479 Calniette's "serum" vaccine 480 ^Extermination of poisonous snakes 481 Decrease of poisonons snakes 481 Local increase 481 Desirability of discrimination between poisonous and harmless snakes... 482 Tlie question of bounty 482 The resnlt in France 482 Bounty a failure 484 Tist of illustrations 485 THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF NORTH AMERICA. By Leoxhard Stejneger. Curator, Department of Beptiles and Batrachians, U. S. National Mmeui It is the purpose of the pieseut paper to give in a convenient form a review of our knowledge coueerning- the poisonous snakes of Xorth America; to make the results of the specialists in the field accessible to a larger public; to bring together in one place a summary of an immense literature very often beyond the reach even of the student; to point out where our knowledge is defective, and to suggest new avenues of research. Many popular errors will be corrected, while others will be disposed of by a simple statement of facts, from which the reader is expected to draw his own conclusions. No attempt will be made to discuss and controvert the purposely exaggerated stories with which the literature of the day abounds. THE so CALLED "HARMLESS" POISONOUS SNAKES. If a snake is caught, killed, or seen, and any question raised as to its poisonous or harmless nature, it will be found that the presumption of guilt is against it, and that incontrovertible proof will be required by even highly educated people, not specially informed, before they are willing to believe in its innocence. An expert insisting that the snake in question belongs to a species wholly devoid of poison would probably during this discussion be met with the statement that a serious case of poisoning had once come under the observation of one of the persons present, the result of a bite of this very kind of snake. In spite of the fact thatnothingiscommouerand easierthan misidentitication of snakes, and that consequently the bite might have been caused by a really different kind of snake, the expert would not be in a position to contra- dict the accuracy of the statement, though he might be able to recall to his oi)ponent quite a number of similarly serious cases resulting from the bites of animals unquestionably non-poisonous in the accepted mean- ing of the word. He might quote Livingston's statement that the bite of the large felines is commonly followed by symptoms of poisoning, and he would relate cases of swelling and inflammation of serious 345 t 346 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEU:\I, 1893. extent, perliaps even death, nndoubtedly caused by the bites of rats, dogs, eats, cows, liorses, and even luaji himself. It is clear then that we can not always conclude that a snake belongs to a venomous kind from the fact that its bite results in symptoms of poisoning. ^Modern science shows us that such results in other animals are due to the presence in their saliva of those minute organisms, the bacteria whose name at least is nowadays so well known to everybody.
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