hunger with whatever food is- available. ■• V/heneyep snakes are present in 

 what appears' to be abnormally large numbers, there must be an abundance of 

 living ahiirial food in the yiainity to attract them. Poisonous snakes 

 have -no place in a, settled country, no matter how beneficial their food 

 habits may be. Host of the nonvenomous snakes, however,- should be given 

 as much consideration ag-'any oth<^r -aniraa^" that directly or indirectly as- 

 sists man in qombatirig pests that may devour his crops, ■ 



PREGAUTIGNARY I'T'.ASURES AGAINST SNAKEg • 



, ^ . ■ ■ ■. - 



There is- little likelihood of accidents from snakes if the follovdng 

 suggestions are borne in' mind: ■ 



Campers should avoid pitching thoir tents in sv/anipy areas or in the 

 vicinity of rocky ledges. Clean camping sites are preferable. "Evsry one 

 should take the necessary precautions of observing where he walks and espe- 

 cially where he puts his hands, Bedding and clothing should be hung up dur- 

 ing the day* 



Hunters in southern States have found that leather leggings afford 

 sufficient protection against the bites of poisonous snakes, and a special- 

 ly constructed bootj with the shank made of • leather and lined with several 

 layers bf fabric, "used by quail hunters in Florida, is a perfect protection 

 for the parts it covers. 



- Information on poisonous snakes and methods of • treating their bites 

 is contained in V/ildlife Leaflet 233, "Poisonous Snakes of the United States" 

 (see footnote, page 1)„ • ' ' 



« 



SUGGESTIONS FOR SNAKF-PROOFING A BUILDING 



lYhen snakes gain- access to a building, the doors and vdndows of which 

 are screened, there must be crevices in the walls, foundation, or floor, . 

 In such Crises all opening in the floor v;eather^boarding, sills, founda- 

 tions, and around fireplaces and chiinneys should be' sought and carefully 

 closed up. If a building can be surrounded by a fairly deep vertical- 

 sided trench with no bridges over it, snakes will be e:xcluded, but in ordi- 

 nary soils such a trench will not long retain its effectiveness, A perraa>- 

 nent concrete moat would in most cases be considered too expensive. 



To exclude snakes from a building the basement walls should be tightly 

 constructed or the sides of the collar sealed with a layer of cement, Foun»- 

 dations under houses and barns may be "pointcd-up" with cement in the same 

 way,. If the walls under any building are sealed with cement and all low 

 windows screened, -snal^es and other undesirable animals cannot gain entrance.. 

 The debris that often accumulates under porches ;should'be removed and the 

 space kept clean f 



SUCTtFSTIOMS FOR RADICATING UIvroESIRABLF SMAKES . 

 There are so many snakes in many neighborhoods and they frequent such 



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