A well-known menace. Its existence is thoroughly established by numerous reports from highly creditable parties. The characteristics appear to be about the same in all regions. Its habit of tucking its tail in its mouth and rolling at incredible speed in pursuit of its prey, or a fancied enemy, is not duplicated fortunately, by any other member of the aninai kingdom.

The tail ends in a stinger carrying venom of such power that a dose of but 0.003 p.p.m. is sufficient to make even the leather-skinned Hodag turn green and swell up and die inside of an hour. No wonder that folks wise in woods lore are wary of this circular engine of destruction. He may travel on just one cylinder but that’s all he needs.

The speed reached in rolling is nothing short of remarkable. A full grown jack-rabbit is pie for this Snake. A mature Snake, when hooped, has a diameter of 1.5923 feet. He has been clocked, after being enticed on to a cleverly designed rolling metered platform at an r.p.m. of about 1056, or a straightaway speed of some 60 m.p.h. The only way to outrun him is to climb over a fence. The Snake must unhoop to get through.

There are many authentic cases of death from this reptile’s venom; possibly the most convincing bit of data is that, in a fit of pique, a Hoop Snake stung one of Paul Bunyan’s peavy handles. Of course this handle was a sizeable stick to start with, but the venom swelled it to such dimensions that Paul cut it up into 946 cords of wood. And then the dang stuff wouldn’t burn. Just lay in the stove and hissed.

Henry Harrington Tryon "Fearsome Critters" (453: p.27)

While I was at the Sawra Towns, one day a little lad of Mr. Bayley's came to acquaint us that he had killed a horn snake, which being a curiosity that I was extremely desirous of observing and examining with particular attention, I accompanied him to the place where he said he had left it ; but when we arrived there, to my great disappointment it was not to be found. He assured me that it must not have been quite dead, and had recovered so much as to be able to crawl from the spot on which he had left it, and had secreted itself somewhere among the leaves. However, every one, and all the inhabitants, with the greatest confidence asserted and avowed their having seen such snakes, though very seldom. They represented them to me, as the most formidable and direful foes in existence to the human race, and to all animation ; poisonous and fatal to a degree almost beyond credibility. He is described as something resembling a black snake, but thicker, shorter, and of a colour more inclining to a dark brown. He never bites his adversary, but has a weapon in his tail, called his sting, of a hard, horny substance, in shape and appearance very much like to a cock's spur: with this he strikes his antagonist, or whatever object he aims at, when he least expects it, and if it penetrates the skin, it is inevitable and sudden death. So very virulent is his poison, that it Is reported, if he should miss the object he pointed at, and should strike his horn through the bark of a young sapling tree, if it penetrates into the sap or vital juice, the the bark or rind will, within a few hours, swell, burst, and peel off, and the tree itself will perish. As other serpents crawl upon their bellies, so can this; but he has another method of moving peculiar to his own species, which he always adopts when he is in eager pursuit of his prey; he throws himself into a circle, running rapidly round, advancing like a hoop, with his tail arising and pointing forward in the circle, by which he is always in the ready position of striking. It is observed, they only make use of this method in attacking ; for when they fly from their enemy, they go upon their bellies, like other serpents.

John Ferdinand Smyth "A Tour in the United States of America" (799: Vol.I, p.263-265)

To the same category as the above belongs the legend of the hoop-snake. This creature, when pursuing its prey downhill, puts its tail in its mouth and rolls away, like a child's hoop, with incredible velocity. Hardy story-tellers have seen the creature skipping along " faster than a horse could gallop".

James MacDonald "Bantu Customs and Legends" (805: p.355)

One day a boy and a girl were walking along the road. All at once they saw a hoop snake coming toward them with great speed. The boy and the girl, spying an apple tree, climbed it quickly to avoid the snake. The snake hit the apple tree. Instead of leaving, the snake remained rolling around the tree, keeping the children up the tree. The children became hungry and picked up an apple to eat. On taking their first bite, they fell out of the tree dead. The snake had poisoned the apples.

Hoop-snake Poisons Tree (801: p.1-2)