| Show society Is formed to protect snakes authority asserts many are valuable it more people knew thit that roost most snakes are valuable to mankind they would wood not beso be so eager to detroy destroy 3 everi every snake anike they see says harry C gardiner gardin er who Is a resident ot of detroit michigan and honorary iry president of the michigan herpetological pet society the docil socil society ay has friits for foi its aims the study and protection of snakes in michigan gardiner says that the fear of snakes is deep laid and arises mainly from the bellef belief that most snakes are poisonous oi or harmful in some way lie he refutes this belief by saying I 1 that in michigan there are 17 different kinds of snakes of which only one la is poisonous the ar or swamp rattler this snake is rarely more than 30 inches long during my 25 years of af residence in michigan I 1 have never heard of a death resulting from the bite of any michigan 9 an snake says gardiner 4 the largest michigan snakes bare are the blacksnake and the blue racer he says these two species are often confused cont used they both reproduce duce by laying eggs but their teed ing habits are different black snakes makes also called pilot snakes makes feed mostly upon small warm blooded animals su such ch as field mice rats gophers and occasionally on birds blue racers prey upon cold blooded creatures such as frogs sal salamander amanders and small lizards in addition to the menu of the black snake commonest of au all michigan snakes is the garter snake which except that tha it may sorn sometimes eUrnes eat fish is generally considered beneficial this snake seems very fond of earthworms the smallest snake in the state is a secretive little fellow called the red bellied snake which groi grows to about 10 inches |
