256 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



Tar Hollow Forest) ; Franklin Twp. (Scioto Trail Forest, Snake Hol'ow, and Stony 

 Creek, about 9 mi. S of Chillicothe) ; Harrison Twp. (Piny Run, near Rattlesnake 

 Knob and Tar Hollow Forest); Jefferson Twp. (1 mi. E of Richmondale) ; Paxton 

 Twp. (Pott's Hill at Pike County line). SciOTO CoUNTY: Brush Creek Twp. (head 

 of Bear Creek) ; Nile Twp. (Panorama Trail in Shawnee Forest) ; Union Twp. 

 (head of Pine Creek and in Pine Run, 1 mi. S of state highway #73). ViNTON 

 County: Brown Twp. (Lake Hope). 



Gier says that "there were approximately 60 rattlers reported killed by the 

 C.C.C. in Zaleski Forest during path construction and other improvements 

 from 1936 to 1939, inclusive." Gier believes that Crotcilus is "at least rare" 

 in both Athens and Meigs counties where he has done much collecting. 

 Regarding northern Ohio, Mattlin states that "there seems to be very little 

 fluctuation in the number of timber rattlers reported from Ottawa County on 

 the Catawba and Marblehead peninsulas, two or three being found every year." 

 Rofkar. who lives in the region, believes that the rattlesnake population has 

 not changed to any appreciable degree during the past twenty years. 



The secretiveness of this snake, despite its large size, may well be respon- 

 sible for its seeming rarity. A combination of nocturnal habits (at least in 

 hot weather) and a marked propensity for remaining close to rock piler, crev- 

 ices, or other places affording immediate shelter, enable timber rattlers to keep 

 well out of man's way. Where they occur they may be far more abundant 

 than has been realized. This has been demonstrated in the Zaleski Forest 

 where large numbers of men, engaged in brushing operations day after day, 

 managed to encounter a sizable number of the snakes. Casual search through 

 the region probably would have netted but a few rattlers, even under optimum 

 collecting conditions. 



The Hocking County State Park district, with its rugged, well-forested 

 terrain, its picturesque cliffs and valleys, and its spectacular rock-shelter caves, 

 has been visited by naturalists more frequently than almost any other part of 

 the state. Yet there are no reports of rattlers from the region. Furthermore, 

 Thomas has been unable to secure evidence from older residents of the area 

 that rattlesnakes ever occurred there. He believes that the absence of the 

 species may be explained by the failure of the massive formations of the Black 

 Hand sandstone to provide suitable hibernation sites for Crotalus. In the 

 process of weathering, no talus cones develop, such as are characteristic of so 

 many other types of sedimentary rocks. On the other hand, there are well- 

 authenticated reports of the species in extreme southwestern Hocking County, 

 along the col of Salt Creek. Here, the Cuyahoga Formation provides quite 

 a different habitat. The layers of thin-bedded, fine-grained, resistant sand- 

 stones of this formation, alternating with friable shales, result in extensive 

 talus slopes of sandstone slabs. 



Sternotherus odoratus (Latreille) 

 Musk Turtle 



(Page 120; meps 29 and 67; plate 16, fig. 1) 



More evidence has accumulated to indicate that the musk turtle is vastly 

 more abundant in Ohio than the records might suggest. The report by 



