Roosevelt High School - Bwana Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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W 1 1 u 1 , ,Q A K iw Courtesy Auto Club of Missouri BENNETT PARK, MISSOURI Twenty-one

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SN AKES OF MISSOURI 3 EWARE! Warning, Step carefully! Snakes in vicinity! Contrary to 142 5155. . . . AW- human belief snakes are not antagonistic. They would rather run than attack. If cornered, the snake is a vicious, dangerous foe. Although there are four poisonous snakes in Missouri, only three are to be found in this locality. Of these three, perhaps, the timber rattlesnake is the most dangerous. The rattlesnake is one that is little seen. It inhabits areas which are not frequently trodden by man. The timber rattler is colored a deep yellow or an olive drab with dark, wavy crossbands. This snake attains a length from three and one-half to four feet, although some have been found larger. One cannot tell a rattlesnake's age by counting the rattles. The reptile gains from two to four rings a year, but the rattle does not grow very long as it is continually being broken off. These snakes are often caught at their favorite pastime, that of basking in the sun on some lonely, rocky ledge. The water moccasin or Hcotton mouth is another of the infrequently seen reptiles. They are very numerous along the Mississippi River, and other streams, not so much by the stream itself, but in the back-wash. The coloring of the snake is dull olive or brownish on top and paler on the sides with vague blackish bands. The top of the head is black and the under side is yellow with three black bars on each side of the white, Hcottonyn mouth. The length of the snake is about four feet, the body is rather thick in pro- portion. When free and able to run Wild, this snake is very pugnaciousg but when captured, it becomes tame and lazy. It is often found hanging from bushes or trees, however, at the first signs of danger it drops into the water and swims away. Although the rattlesnake is widely known, the highland moccasin or cop- perhead is more frequently seen in this vicinity. The rattlesnake receives its name from the rattleg the copperhead, from the color of the headg and the water moccasin, from the white mouth. The copperhead is a coppery brown with chestnut brown bands in an hour-glass shape. Although shorter than the other two snakes, it is considered by some to have a more dangerous bite than the water moccasin or rattlesnake. In captivity, this snake becomes tame and very seldom strikes. The copperhead is usually found in rocky terrains near heavy woods or dark marshes. JACK ROBBIN ii-fi'XiiX Q' - - Y . . 133,67 lf - 7141 . ly TG' 'life -?u.a 'i Twenty

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WILD LIFE IN OUR STATE PARKS Oh, l've heard the call of the tall white pine, And heard the call of the running brook: l'm tired of the tasks which each day are mine, l'm weary of reading a printed book, l want to get out of the din and strife, the clang And clamor of turning wheel, And walk for a day where life is life, and the joys are true and the pictures real. -EDGAR A. GUEST. How often does this stanza from Edgar A. Guest apply to people in all walks of life-to the business man, gone on a week-end trip: to the busy housewife, freed from the duties of the house, and down to the smallest children, released from the confines of the schoolroom. And how fortunate are all these Missourians to have places to go on their week-ends and even on their vacations to enjoy the pleasant meadows, the shady valleys, the streams filled with fish, and the trees filled with multi-colored birds. It has been said that- No place in the world has domiciled more indi- viduals or more species of living forms than Missouri. In the never-ending list of animals and plants, Missouri is rich beyond compare. How proud should we be, who live in the largest city in this state of Missouri, to be able to say those words. And one of the means which Missouri has taken to attain this place has been through its state parks. The state of Missouri has spent a considerable sum of money to convert large portions of these parks into refuges for deer, wild turkey, quail, and small game, and also into fish hatcheries. The following examples are but a few to illustrate what our parks are doing to conserve wild life. ln Montauk State Park, in Dent County, near Salem, is found what is regarded as the best wild trout water in the state. It is primarily a fishermarfs retreat, although a lover of nature can also Hnd much to interest him within this tract. A fish hatchery is maintained at Roaring River State Park, throughout the year the stream is well stocked with trout. Fish hatcheries are maintained also at Niangua, Sequiota, and Chesapeake State Parks, while fine fishing is available at Alley Spring and Round Spring State Parks. Deer Run State Park in Reynolds County is primarily a deer and wild turkey game-breeding refuge. There are also deer and wild turkey refuges at the Indian Trails State Park in northeastern Dent County. The Sam A. Baker State Park in Wayne County comprises more than 4,000 acres of wild and rugged land, and at the time of opening had cost the state of Missouri Sl8,000. This area is devoted almost entirely to wild game propagation. St. Louisans do not have to go very far to enjoy the facilities of the Missouri playgrounds, for close at hand we have Meramec State Park, a game refuge, and also Babler, Washington, and Cuivre River Parks. Twenty-two