Handle With Care

Character study of Mrs. Western Diamond Rattlesnake. She is definitely ready for argument. This species, for visible reasons, is sometimes called the "Coon-tail Rattler." HANDLE WITH CARE

We want you to meet our friend, Mr. Rattlesnake, and his family. Charming folks in many ways and interesting, too.

I STARED IN FROZEN fascination for a second while the rattlesnake's mouth opened wider and wider and wider yet, until it looked as though surely its head would split in twoand those twin recurving fangs ominously extended themselves an inch from my finger. Then, as quickly as you can wink your eye, the jaws snapped shut, to sink both fang tips into my flesh..

No, this isn't the prelude to a mystery thriller. It really happened, out here at Montezuma Castle last year. I'd been monkeying with rattlesnakes during several summers, and was down in the basement of our museum telling Ranger Bill Bowen a few things about the reptiles. We had this nice specimen of a 33 inch Northern Black-tail (Crotalus molossus molosus) waiting for preparation as a study specimen, and since I had never handled a rattlesnake barehanded I decided to pick up this one.

I didn't grip the snake very hard, for I didn't want to hurt it, and that is probably the reason for what happened. Mr. Black-tail didn't care for such attention, and flopped violently around for a minute or two, then relaxed. It was just a stall, for a second later he began to squirm his head around, and that terrible mouth opened. Any rattlesnake's fangs are long enough, and this variety has longer fangs than most, and well, you know what happened.

The fang tips entered my right forefinger just over the second joint. I instinctivelysqueezed tightly with my hand, and the fangs withdrew. Before another bite could occur, I had dropped him, and Bill was dashing upstairs for the snake bite kit. He had scarcely started first aid treatment, however, before I knew from

BY EARL JACKSON CUSTODIAN, MONTEZUMA CASTLE NATIONAL MONUMENT

The complete absence of pain that there was no need to do more than to put iodine over the punctures to prevent outside infection getting in. For I had received no poison. The finger itched for several days, but no other symptoms were noticed.

To say the least, it is unusual for a rattlesnake victim to escape all consequences. But it is at least a significant illustration of the fact that the bitten person need seldom worry because he hasn't taken out more insurance. Dr. Dudley Jackson, of San Antonio, Texas, famous for years for his improved methods in treatment of snake poisoning, is authority for the statement that mortality in adequately cared for cases is now a possible one percent, as against 15% a few years ago.

We know that fear in many cases has played a significant part in inducing death to victims. If some of the unfortunate ones had possessed a little more knowledge of all the factors which favor a human in such a situation, possibly they could have mustered the necessary fortitude to tip a favorable scale at the critical point.

Look for a moment at some of the reasons why the cards are stacked against Mr. Rattler as an assassin:

2. Sometimes one fang may be missing, or only one will penetrate the flesh, thus greatly limiting the amount of poison that can be injected.

3. Frequently only a glancing blow is struck, leaving merely fang scratches, or you may jerk away quickly enough to prevent good penetration of poison.

4. As happened in my case, the fangs may enter very thin skin and hit bone before the poison opening can enter the skin. For the fang is hollow, like a hypodermic needle, and the poison tube terminates some distance back from the tip.

5. The snake may bite through shoe leather or thick clothing, so that much of the poison is absorbed and harmlessly spreads before it can penetrate.

6. Fangs may penetrate an area of fatty tissue, in which diffusion of poison through the system is difficult and slow.

7. If the snake has recently fed, his venom supply may not be completely up to par. He may use as much as a third of it in killing his prey.

8. Rattlesnakes have been known to misjudge their distance and eject venom before hitting. Also, the fangs may be only partially opened, thus causing only partial penetration.

9. Finally, you may be one of those persons who has a higher degree of resistance to snake poison than others. Of course, the reverse might be true, too. I have known people to suffer prodigious swelling and hours of agony from the sting of the ordinary red ant.

There may be still other reasons why you should not give up hope or get too violently excited if bitten. At any rate, famous snake authorities stand back of the points given above. But, for the love of Mike, don't let anything that has been said cause you to lose respect for Mr. Rattler. Truly, this peculiarly American reptile is one of the most dangerous on the face of the earth. While he is found only in the Western Hemisphere, he is well represented by over 45 species, ranging from Argentina to Southern Canada. He occurs in all of our states with the possible exception of Maine and New Hampshire.

Do you like superlatives? The Eastern Rattlesnake, of Florida and adjacent areas, which reaches a length of eight feet, and a weight of 16 pounds or more, is the heaviest poisonous snake living. He is run a pretty close second by his westerly relative, the Western Diamond Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox). Neither can compare in length with the Bushmaster of South America, which reaches 12 feet, or the King Cobra of Siam, which has been measured up to 18 feet. The largest rattler I have ever seen, after nearly 30 years in Arizona, was a Western Diamond from central Yavapai County, which measured a full five feet six inches. In recent years it is becoming definitely unusual to find one in Arizona over five feet long, although they do still occur.(Continued on Page Forty-one) Sleeping beauties? The Pacific Rattlesnake, on the left, is the nearly black fellow you sometimes erroneously call the "Timber Rattler," and is found in the plateau country of North, Northeastern, and Eastern Arizona. The heavier bodied dozer on the right is the widely spread Western Diamond.