THE TRANSITION TO LAND 



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ning-like rapidity. The poison is a blood poison and begins destruction 

 of the elements of the blood. When properly treated most cases of 

 poisonous snake bite recover. The rattlesnakes account for about 90 

 per cent of the deaths from snake bite in the United States. 



There are about fifteen species of rattlesnakes in the United States. 

 There are some, such as the little pigmy rattlesnake, or ground rattle- 

 snake, that have only a single button on the tip of the tail and this does 

 not rattle. The eastern diamond back rattlesnake grows to the greatest 

 length, sometimes seven feet. The Texas diamond back rattlesnake is 

 also a large member of this group. 



Courtesy Chicago Park District 

 Fig. 26.16. Southern copperhead snake. 



The cotton-mouth water moccasin is a dangerous and feared snake of 

 the swamps and bayous of the southern states. It has the pit viper char- 

 acteristics and can also be recognized by its dull, irregular, olive brown 

 color and its thick, heavy body. These moccasins are found in and 

 around water at all times and, like the rattlesnake, they prefer to escape 

 danger rather than face it. When approached they may be seen to slip 

 silently into the water and swim away, but when cornered they are quite 

 vicious and there are some deaths from the bite. 



The copperhead is the third and final member of the pit viper family 

 in the United States. It is a smaller snake than the other two and has 

 a much better disposition. In fact it is so gentle that it seldom bites 

 unless it is stepped on, and it certainly cannot be blamed for that. Cop- 

 perheads have pretty copper-colored bands of irregular shape on their 

 slender, graceful bodies that make them beautiful snakes. They are not 

 more than three feet long and do not seem to inject enough poison to 

 cause death in a normal, healthy person, but it is enough to make a 



