Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 223, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1911 — HONEY SNAKE CLIMBS TREE [ARTICLE]

HONEY SNAKE CLIMBS TREE

Pennsylvania State Zoologist Believe* Story of Bweet-Toothed ReptileCase* on Record. ? “\ -o Harrlsburg, Pa. —Prof. H. A. Surface, state economic soologist, la much interested in a story that reached him from Kennerdell, Venango county, to the effect that three men tn cutting down a bee tree discovered In opening it that a big blacksnake had invaded the bees’ neat and had devoured almost all th* honey. The bee hole was 40 feet from the ground, and the men averred that the snake, attracted by the honey, had climbed the tree, had its feast, and when discovered by the bees they set upon him to drive him away, and literally covered the snake when found. Professor Surface was asked If It were possible for a black snake to climb a tree to thtt height and If it was ever known to eat boaey. “Tea.* said Professor Surface, "I can fully believe that story, for I believe that it ’n possible that a black snake could climb a tree. Further more, if there was a bees* nest in that tree the snake could get Into the bee hole and eat the honey. I don’t believe, however, that It would eat all the honey, for It would be cunning enough to know that by doing so it would drive the bees away. A* to thia- particular snake being covered with bees I think they were wreaking their vengeance on it by trying to sting It to death, which to pretty difficult, for a blacksnake** Md* to pretty tough. I have known

of snakes that got into beehives and were stung to death. "As to tbe snakes’ eating honey, 1 have known that, too. The snake finds tbe unsealed honey and sips it out of the comb. There are a good many records of snakes being found in beehives; but this is the first instance of one being found hunting honey in a bee tree. We know that blacksnakes climb trees, and it la. possible that this one got tn the tree, and when the bees found it they turned on the intruder. I have myself seen bees turn on *mice when they intruded in the hives, and sting them to death, and I have seen the remains of small snakes in beehives. Of course, the snake does not bite into the comb, but sips tbe honey with its tongue, and in that way cleans out th. eella-