CHAPTER XXXII: THE RAT SNAKES OR COL- 

 UBERS; GENUS COLUBER. 



Large and Powerful Constricting Serpents. They are of Considerable 

 Economic Value in Destroying Animals that are Injurious to 

 'Agricultural Pursuits. 



In the United States the genus CoZttJ^y is represented by five 

 species and several distinct varieties of large and richly coloured 

 snakes. The genus as a whole contains several dozen species, in- 

 habiting the temperate and tropical portions of both the New and 

 the Old World. For all of these snakes, both for convenience and 

 in the absence of a general, popular title, we will use the name 

 Coluber. In some localities of this country they are called "rat 

 snakes" and in others "chicken snakes." All of the species at- 

 tain a considerable size. Next to the closely allied serpents of 

 the genus Piiuophis and the big Indigo Snake (Spilotes) the Colu- 

 bers are the largest serpents inhabiting the United States. 



The Colubers exhibit an unvarying preference for warm- 

 blooded prey — especially the smaller rodents, but with few ex- 

 ceptions they also feed upon birds and their eggs. Such North 

 American species as the Red Coluber or Corn Snake, the Pilot 

 Black Snake and the Fox Snake are found in considerable num- 

 bers in fields of growing grain. Their presence in such places — 

 where the smaller injurious mammals congregate to nest and 

 feed — is obvious, but not appreciated by the average farmer 

 who slaughters the reptiles until their numbers have diminished 

 to a standard far below that intended by Nature. With the 

 destruction of the snakes comes an abundance of the injurious 

 creatures of the fields and the farmer vents his disgruntled 

 feelings to the accompaniment of further reptilian slaughter. 

 The protest of one who appreciates the situation is usually met 

 by the caustic reply that "snakes are snakes" and as such, are 

 fit only for destruction by the hand of humanity. With 

 persons who argue thus, it is a waste of time to talk. Suffice 

 it to say that the farmer who has energetically pursued and 



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