DETROIT (AP) — An apparent increase in the number of people and pets being bitten by Michigan’s only venomous snake species is stoking fears among some residents in the state’s Lower Peninsula about the small, shy rattlesnake.

The Detroit News reports that the eastern massasauga rattlesnake has had an uncharacteristically busy year, delivering what appears to be more bites than usual.

“Just from my gut, it seems there are more bites than there have been in the past,” said Jeff Jundt, the curator for reptiles at the Detroit Zoo.

The zoo, which carries anti-venom, typically provides the medication once a year to hospitals for use in emergencies. But Jundt said so far this year he’s sent it three times.

State officials don’t track rattlesnake bites, although they are normally rare.

But this year, there’s been a string of them — in Orion Township, Highland Recreation Area and Flushing. At least seven times in the past five months, eastern massasaugas have bitten people or their pets, sending worried families to hospitals or veterinarian offices.

And Poison Control at Children’s Hospital of Michigan has this year received reports of at least four human bites.

None of those encounters has resulted in a death, but experts said the number of occurrences is out of the ordinary.

Logan Coleman’s family was sent into a panic in late August after the 7-year-old was bitten by an eastern massasauga in their yard in Spring Arbor Township, just west of Jackson.

“He came running back into the house yelling, ‘Mom, come out here and see what bit me — you’ve gotta see.’ He was screaming at the top of his lungs,” Kimberly Coleman, the boy’s mother, told The Detroit News.

Logan was bitten on his left index finger and the area was beginning to swell and harden.

A neighbor helped catch the snake in a bucket and the family raced to a nearby clinic where doctors identified the snake and transferred Logan to an Ann Arbor hospital that carried the anti-venom.

The youngster spent one night at the hospital, taking the anti-venom through an intravenous drip. Today, he bears no ill effects from the encounter, but his mother now occasionally patrols the yard when her son is outside.

The venom produced by the eastern massasauga is not a neurotoxin that causes paralysis, as in many snakes, but it damages tissues around the bite site. If untreated, it can be fatal in young or old people, as well as adults in poor health.

The apparent rise in rattlesnake encounters may be due to this year’s warm autumn — the snakes are most active spring to fall.

With warmer temperatures, the rattlesnakes are delaying their fall hibernation and enjoying extra time sunning themselves, said Chris Hoving, the endangered species coordinator with the state Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

The eastern massasauga is Michigan’s only rattlesnake and is found all across the Lower Peninsula in areas that include wetlands. At its largest, it grows to just under 3 feet, making it one of the smallest rattlesnake species.

Hoving said the snake’s defensive rattle produces a higher-pitched sound than humans might expect from a rattler.

“It tends to sound like an insect buzzing,” he said.

Due to the loss of wetlands where the snakes make their homes, the eastern massasauga’s numbers have diminished significantly. It is now protected by law in Michigan and is under consideration for endangered species designation by the federal government.

via Mich. Seeing Apparent Rise in Rattlesnake Bites.

CUYAMACA, Calif — A 67-year-old La Jolla man died from a rattlesnake bite he suffered while wading through an East Country stream as part of a trout study near Cuyamaca Reservoir, it was reported Saturday.

William “Skip” Price, reportedly an avid fly fisherman, was wearing water sandals when he was bitten on one foot by the rattler along Boulder Creek Wednesday, Gary Strawn of Santee, one of five people with Price, told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Strawn said Price stopped breathing within minutes, and he and others performed CPR for about 20 minutes until paramedics arrived.

A sheriff’s helicopter took Price to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, where he was declared dead about 1 p.m., according to the county Medical Examiner’s Office.

Strawn, conservation chairman of San Diego Fly Fishers, said he met Price that morning when they and four other fly-fishing volunteers carpooled out Boulder Creek Road, in the Pine Hills area northeast of Cuyamaca Reservoir, to take part in a study of native steelhead trout.

Price was bitten within minutes of starting the survey as he stepped over logs and boulders along the streambed, Strawn said.

Strawn said he never saw the snake, “but it must have been a big one. The bite marks on top of his foot were an inch and a half across.”

via La Jolla Man Dies From Rattlesnake Bite In East County – San Diego News Story – KGTV San Diego.

SAN DIEGO (CBS – It all happened so fast. One moment 67-year-old William “Skip” Price was taking part in a volunteer fishing project, and the next he was fighting for his life.

The rattlesnake attack happened in the East County community of Pine Hills on Boulder Creek Road along Boulder Creek.

“I think we did the best we could, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough,” friend Gary Strawn said.

It’s a scene he says he plays over and over again in his head — administering CPR to his fellow fly fisherman William Price just moments after being bitten by a rattlesnake.

“You could see the bite marks on the top of his foot, and they were about an inch and a half apart, so that’s a pretty good sized snake,” Strawn said.

William, whose nickname was “Skip”, was walking along the shoreline at Boulder Creek getting ready to collect samples for a volunteer genetic trout clipping project when Gary says what looked like a western diamondback rattlesnake slithered its way onto his foot. Within minutes, the 67-year-old La Jolla man was unconscious and then stopped breathing.

“Wayne kept telling us to keep watching his feet to see if the coloring was coming back and if we could keep his extremities pink instead of blue it meant we were probably getting some blood flow out there,” Strawn said.

The longtime member of the Golden State Flycasters group was airlifted to Palomar Medical Center, but later died. Skip’s widow tells News 8 her husband was a gentle giant whose passion for fishing was only matched by the love he had for his family.

His friends at GSF say Skip was a devoted conservationist and enjoyed teaching local Boy Scout groups how to fly fish.

While the medical examiner has yet to determine the official cause of death, Strawn says he plans to return to Boulder Creek to finish the work Skip started.

“It’s gonna be difficult for me to get up there, but I hope we can continue to do what we can to maintain this great waterway we have,” he said.

via San Diego man dies after being bitten by rattlesnake – San Diego, California Talk Radio Station – 760 KFMB AM – 760kfmb.

Hillsborough County, Florida– The mark left on Jacob Hyatt’s finger is tiny.

The pygmy rattlesnake to blame for it is less than a foot long.

But Hyatt and his parents’ fears right after the snake dug in on Friday afternoon were much bigger.

“I thought I was going to die,” Jacob explained.

“Oh my gosh, when I hear snake and poison and venom, you think your kid is going to die,” described his mother, Teresa.

Jacob was playing with his friends across the street from his house on Indian Rosewood Drive in New Tampa. When he reached underneath a rock sitting by a tree, he didn’t expect to find the snake hiding there.

“It was like a sting,” the third grader said.

Jacob ran inside, his mom called 911, and they spent about 10 hours in the hospital.

Doctors told Jacob he’ll be okay, mainly because only one fang got his finger and the venom didn’t spread.

“It was really scary. You don’t think something that small could kill somebody, but it can,” Teresa said.

Florida Fish and Wildlife officers say bites by that type of snake can be fatal, or end with losing a finger.

The Hyatts say they’ve seen a lot of pygmy rattlesnakes around their neighborhood, which FWC says is common near areas with tall grass and heavy vegetation.

“They’re everywhere and they’re not shy,” Teresa said.

Officers say if you are bit, the best thing to do is get to a hospital right away.

Firefighters killed the snake, but it’s being kept in the family’s freezer as a souvenir.

It’s also a reminder for Jacob.

“Don’t put your hands under anything if you can’t see what’s under it,” he said.

A lesson his parents say he’s lucky he didn’t get hurt worse while learning.

via “I thought I was going to die”; 8-year-old describes poisonous rattlesnake bite | Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota | WTSP.com.

Tampa, FL — Jacob Hyatt, 8, was playing outside his home this afternoon when he was bitten by a pygmy rattlesnake.

The boy says he was bitten by the snake when he moved a rock to grab a rope that was hanging in the tree. He was transported by ground to University Community Hospital where he is listed in good condition.

University Community Hospital tells us that Jacob is their 8th patient this year that is being treated for a snake bite. Last year, the hospital set a record by treating 15 patients.

Jacob is expected to be released later this evening.

via 8-year-old bitten by pygmy rattlesnake | Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota | WTSP.com 10 News.

Orion Township — An Orion Township man walking with his beagle in the woods behind his home was bitten by an Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, Michigan’s only venomous snake.

Sgt. Mark Buffa of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said the bite happened around 6:45 p.m. The man was taken to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak.

“He was treated by an anti-venom we received from the Detroit Zoo, and released,” said hospital spokeswoman Karen LeDuc.

Buffa said the beagle was bitten first and when the man “came up to investigate, he got bit.”

The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake is found in a variety of wetlands and woods throughout the Lower Peninsula. It is the only Michigan snake with segmented rattles on the end of its tail and elliptical (“cat like”) vertical pupils in the eyes. The neck is narrow, contrasting with the wide head and body and the head appears triangular in shape, according to www.tamssunshinehouse.com’s page on Michigan snakes. It usually feeds on small rodents and frogs.

The incident Friday marks the second rattlesnake attack in a month. A dog was bitten by a rattlesnake in late September and also was treated by the anti-venom from the Detroit Zoo.

via Oakland County man, dog bitten by rattlesnake | detnews.com | The Detroit News.

TAMPA — Doctors expect an 8-year-old boy bitten by a pygmy rattlesnake Friday afternoon to make a full recovery.

“He only had one fang wound to his hand, and he wasn’t envenomated,” said Will Darnall, a spokesman for University Community Hospital, where the boy was taken. Doctors plan to observe the boy for 12 hours before releasing him, Darnall said.

Jacob Hyatt tried to move a large rock to get his rope untangled from a tree branch, when the pygmy rattlesnake lunged and planted its fang in his right hand, Darnall said.

The Turner Elementary third-grader ran home to 20112 Indian Rosewood Drive to tell his mother he’d been bitten.

When Tampa Fire Rescue arrived just before 4 p.m., paramedics found the snake and killed it before rushing Jacob to UCH-Fletcher.

Jacob’s mother, Theresa, still has the reptile.

She told the hospital that there have been poisonous snakes spotted all over their neighborhood, Hammocks at Grand Hampton in New Tampa, recently.

Darnall said the hospital has treated eight snakebite victims so far this year, compared to last year’s total of 15.

“It’s a good thing he wasn’t envenomated,” Darnall said. “The best-case scenario is not to be bitten at all, but this is the second-best-case scenario.”

via Pygmy rattlesnake bites New Tampa third-grader – St. Petersburg Times.

A poisonous snake bit a 45-year-old man while he was strolling by an Orlando hotel pool.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that the man was bitten on his left ankle by a cottonmouth water moccasin at about 5 p.m. Monday at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes resort in south Orange County. The species is common in and around wetlands in the Southeast, the paper reports.

The resort sits on 500 acres and is bordered by Shingle Creek, the protected headwaters to the Everglades, which is home to abundant wildlife, according to Marriott.

The man – Eric Geisman, 45, of Rhode Island – was in the intensive-care unit at a local hospital, the paper says. He was in stable condition as of Tuesday evening, but the Sentinel says that his family “was not certain about his prognosis.”

“He’s in a lot of pain. We’re not sure what to expect,” said his sister-in-law, Lynn Arruda of Orlando.

The man was bitten while he and his wife were on a walking path near the hotel’s pool and herb garden; he had stepped on the snake, the story says. His left leg became swollen, and about an hour later, he was rushed by ambulance to the hospital.

A fire crew later captured and killed the roughly 2 1/2-foot-long, snake and took it to the hospital, the story says. Geisman by mid-day Tuesday received two doses of anti-venom.

The JW Marriott hotel’s general manager, Jim Burns, was not immediately available for comment, the paper says.

Bethesda, Md.-based Marriott International issued the following statement:

“We are aware of the snake bite incident that took place… As soon as we were made aware of the situation we called 911 immediately; they responded right away. We are concerned for the well being of the guest and we are doing what we can to assist him and his family.

The safety and security of our guests and associates is one of our highest priorities. Whenever we are made aware of a situation where animals may be a threat to guests or approach resort areas we address it immediately.”

In April, a harmless-but-long python snake surprised a guest when the guest found it slithering inside a Hampton Inn hotel guestroom toilet bowl.

via Poisonous snake bites man strolling by Orlando JW Marriott pool – USATODAY.com.

A 45-year-old Rhode Island man was bitten by a cottonmouth water moccasin, a poisonous snake, while strolling near the pool at the swanky J.W. Marriott Grande Lakes resort in south Orange County Monday.

Eric Geisman, 45, of Pawtucket, RI, was in the intensive care unit at the Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, formerly Orlando Regional Sand Lake Hospital.

A hospital spokeswoman said Tuesday evening that he was stable.

“He’s in a lot of pain. We’re not sure what to expect,” said his sister-in-law, Lynn Arruda of Orlando.

Geisman and his wife were on a walking path at the resort, on Central Florida Parkway at John Young Parkway, about 5 p.m. Monday, near the hotel’s pool and herb garden, when he stepped on the snake, Arruda said. He was bitten on the left ankle, she said.

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His left leg was swollen, and he was in severe pain, Arruda said.

He was taken by ambulance to the hospital about 6 p.m. Monday.

An Orange County Fire Rescue crew was called to the hotel, treated him and transported him to the hospital. It left to handle another call, said John Mulhall, agency spokesman, but then went back to the scene, captured and killed the snake and took it to the hospital.

A fire department lieutenant carried the snake into the hospital, said Arruda, so the medical staff could confirm it was a water moccasin.

That species is common in and near wetlands throughout the Southeast.

The snake that bit Geisman, Arruda said, “was probably about 2 1/2 feet long, and it was brown. … It had a whitish-yellow underbelly.”

Geisman had been given two doses of anti-venom by mid-day Tuesday, Arruda said, but his family was not certain about his prognosis.

He and his wife were at the resort for a conference. Geisman works at a hospital’s food service department, Arruda said.

The resort’s general manager, Jim Burns, was not immediately available for comment.

Rene Stutzman can be reached at rstutzman@orlandosentinel.com or 407-650-6394.

Facts about water moccasins:

Species name: Agkistrodon piscivorus.

It is an aggressive, poisonous snake common in the Southeast.

It can be found in and near waterways, swamps and wetlands.

It is a thick, muscular snake with a triangular head that is larger than its body.

It’s called a cottonmouth because when it coils for attack, it opens its mouth, exposing its white interior.

It is typically 24 to 48 inches in length but its colors vary, depending on its age. Young water moccasins can be striped, but older snakes can be all brown or black. All have a stripe through the eye and elliptical rather than round eyes.

It feeds primarily on fish and frogs, mice and other small mammals.

via Snakebite Orlando: Rhode Island man in ICU after being bitten by poisonous snake at Orlando’s J.W. Marriott – OrlandoSentinel.com.

A Pflugerville family is planning a funeral for their toddler who died Wednesday after a rattlesnake bit her.

Kammy Hood and her two children were on a playground near Possum Kingdom Lake west of Fort Worth Tuesday night when 1-year-old Peyton began to cry.

Over the phone, Hood told KEYE TV’s Erika Gonzalez that she ran to the child who was on the steps of a slide.

Hood says almost instantly her baby girl went limp, turned blue and started to vomit. One of Peyton’s ankles was bleeding.

Moments later, she saw a small rattlesnake.  It had already bit the child twice.

The snake was killed and the child was air lifted to Cooks Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth.  She received anti-venom but died early Wednesday morning.

Funeral services for the child will be held in Wichita Falls this Saturday.

via Pflugerville child dies after rattlesnake bite – WeAreAustin.com.

A toddler from the Austin area has died after being bitten by a rattlesnake while visiting Possum Kingdom Lake with her family.

Peyton Hood of Pflugerville died early Wednesday, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office. She would have turned 2 next month.

The Palo Pinto County Sheriff’s department says deputies received a call Tuesday night from a woman saying her granddaughter had suffered a snake bite on the south side of the lake, which is about 70 miles west of Fort Worth.

The girl was taken to a Fort Worth hospital, where she died.

Two or three people die of snakebites each year in Texas, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

By comparison, five to seven people die each year from reaction to insect bites and about eight die each year from lightning strikes, according to the agency.

“This is something we come across every once in a while,” said Capt. Neal Bieler of the game wardens’ Fort Worth office. “Cottonmouths, copperheads and diamondbacks are all over the state, so you just need to be aware of your surroundings.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest keeping the victim still and calm to slow the spread of the venom and calling 911 immediately.

via Toddler dies from snake bite at Possum Kingdom Lake | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Breaking News for Dallas-Fort Worth | Dallas Morning News.

The pain is unbearable. He does not much feel like talking, but Darian Baehler knows he is lucky to have his left foot. A rattlesnake bit his leg not once, but twice. He has had two surgeries, so far, to relieve pressure from the swelling. He was moved from intensive care to intermediate care at University Medical Center Brackenridge Tuesday afternoon.

Darian’s father, Todd Baehler, said, “It’s just unbelievable. I could not believe a snake bite could do this much damage. He’s going to be in the hospital another week or so. He’s going to have physical therapy, he’s going to have plastic surgery, he’s going to have a lot of problems.”

It happened Friday, when Baehler and a group of kids were headed home down a wooded path near Southwest Regional Park in Williamson County. His sister Nicole says it got dark all of the sudden. One of their friends unknowingly stepped over a rattlesnake. Soon they all knew.

“It was really loud,” Nicole Baehler said. “Like, you know, like moraccas or whatever, that’s what it sounded like.

Game warden Turk Jones says dusk and dark in the summer are prime time for snakes.

“They’re gonna be out in the evening, 9 o’clock, 10 o’clock, the time those kids were walking through here,” Jones said.

Six-year-old Carson Perreault was also in the group. “I wouldn’t have survived it,” Perrault said

Doctors agree, which strikes a chord with Todd Baehler.

“That was scary to me because people walk their dogs back there. People ride their bikes back there,” Baehler said.

Doctors at UMC Brackenridge say they see 40-50 snake bites a year, mostly during the summer months. They say rattlesnake anti-venom runs about $2,000 a vial. Baehler had to have 33 vials. Doctors say that the anti-venom can mean the difference between keeping and losing a limb, and in some cases, life and death. That is why they say anyone who is the victim of a snake bite, no matter how minor, should seek emergency medical treatment.

via Teenager fighting to keep his foot after rattlesnake bites | kvue.com | KVUE News | Austin, TX | Breaking News.

A 4-year-old boy is being treated at Poudre Valley Hospital after being bitten by a rattlesnake about 10 a.m. today.

The boy was bitten on private property about 6 miles northwest of Fort Collins near Curtis Lake.

He was treated on scene by emergency personnel and transported to Poudre Valley Hospital. Initially a Flight for Life helicopter was called, but it was canceled after emergency personnel determined the boy’s injuries weren’t as serious as first believed, according to Poudre Fire Authority spokesman Holger Durre.

The boy’s condition was not immediately available.

Poudre Fire Authority rarely responds to bite reports, according to Durre. Fort Collins area residents are reminded to be cautious when participating in outdoor activities where snakes can be found and are encouraged to read all posted information at trailheads and recreation areas, Durre said.

In case of a bite, call 911 and keep the victim calm.

via 4-year-old hospitalized after rattlesnake bite near lake north of Fort Collins | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan.

A Sneads man is in critical condition after being bitten four times by an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake Sunday outside his home on River Road.

Frank Shelfer was in the critical care unit at Southeast Alabama Medical Center as of Tuesday.

His mother, Minnie Lee Shelfer, said he was bitten just after he walked outside to get his first breath of fresh air after gall stone surgery last Friday.

“He had picked up a limb and went over to put in on a pile of other limbs outside, and he said he was bitten when he took a step to lay it on the pile,” Mrs. Shelfer said.

He doesn’t have much sensation in his left leg, due to an old injury, and he didn’t know he’d been bitten until he looked down, his mother said.  According to Jackson County Fire Rescue Chief Tony Wesley, the four bites were to Shelfer’s left foot and ankle. Shelfer’s mother said she thinks she remembers her son saying he saw the snake’s fangs sliding off his shoe as the reptile departed.

Once he realized he was bitten, he did what he could to keep the poison from spreading through his body as he went for help.

“He hopped on one foot to the door of the house and called out to his wife (Lynne),”  his mother said

He was flown to Southeast. From the ambulance that took him to the helicopter, his wife called the church, where his mother was attending services, and let her know about the bite.

His mother said the church members been praying for her son ever since.

He is being treated with anti-venom, his mother said, and as of Tuesday was still unable to move about. But he was able to talk with friends and family.

It is not known what prompted the bite. Herpetology expert Paul Moler said it’s possible that Shelfer, not seeing the snake, may have stepped on it.

Until his retirement, Moler led the herpetology research section for the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Conservation Commission in Gainesville. He still volunteers for the section and for other departments at the agency.

He said the best defense against snakebite is being watchful and careful.

The Eastern diamondback can be found anywhere in its home region — from southern North Carolina to Florida, and west to Louisiana, according to National Geographic. It prefers open fields with plenty of seeds for its typical prey, like rabbits, rats and squirrels.

They don’t usually like heavily wooded areas with lots of canopy, Moler said, because there’s less seed there to attract the prey. Still, he’s seen them there, too.

“Just be aware of your surroundings,” Moler said. “Watch where you put your feet and hands. The snakes don’t really want to run into you at all. But when they’re feeling attacked, they’re going to do what they can to defend themselves. Frequently, their bites are dry bites, where they don’t even inject any venom. They’re basically trying to say, ‘Don’t tread on me.’  The other thing you can do is wear boots that protect the ankles in high grass, but the most important thing is to watch where you’re going. Keep your eyes glued to the ground.”

Moler said there are many myths that don’t hold up when it comes to avoiding snakes. For instance, wearing bells on one’s shoelaces won’t probably have any effect.

“Snakes are essentially deaf, but they feel vibrations and they probably know you’re there anyway,” Moler said. “But if they feel like they’re hidden and safe, it is rare for them to bite. It’s only when they feel threatened that you have to worry.”

If bitten, he said “the best first aid is your car keys” when in a remote area with no one close by to call for help. Minimize movement, but drive to a medical facility as quickly as possible.

The field remedies once regularly recommended — like tourniquets and cuts in the skin to suck out the venom — can be almost as dangerous as the bite itself and leave the victim maimed for life, Moler said.

via wmbb.com – Sneads Man in Critical Condition From Snake Bites.

Shocked Dan Muldowney was left in agony, bleeding and feeling dizzy for ten days after the attack.

The 4ft creature sank its fangs into his bare shin while he was bodyboarding on holiday with his family – leaving a double puncture wound.

It also bit him on the thigh but failed to penetrate his knee-length wetsuit.

Dan, 27, who believes he was the victim of a tropical species normally found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, said: “I felt something like a clump of seaweed against my leg, then a bang.

“When I looked in front of me I saw a snake with a black head shaped like a cobra – I clearly remember seeing its wide neck. No sooner had I seen it than it was gone.”

The attack at the popular resort of Newquay came just weeks after a fisherman saw a sea snake swimming at Whitsands in south-east Cornwall.

Dan, a surveyor, was enjoying a break with girlfriend Kenize Akhtar and their four children when he was bitten.

At the time he was in chest-deep surf trying out a new wetsuit he had just bought.

To begin with he thought he had hit his leg on a sharp rock and seen a huge eel.

But his wound began bleeding heavily and within ten minutes he was out of breath.

The following day blood started oozing from his mouth and he felt so unwell he was on the verge of collapse.

Then lumps like bubbles appeared on his leg and his fingertips began to tingle.

He consulted a GP, who was baffled by his symptoms, before a second doctor sent him to hospital where he was given allergy tablets.

By the time he returned home to Oldham, Gtr Manchester, he had headaches and twitching muscles.

Dan said: “My nerves were an absolute mess. I was irritable and unable to cope. Some days I just stayed in bed.”

Hospital tests failed to show anything conclusive but 12 days after his ordeal Dan started to recover.

After doing research he is sure he was attacked by a yellow-bellied sea snake. The creature’s venom, used to kill fish, is ten times more lethal than an Egyptian cobra’s.

Dan dismissed suggestions that he might have been bitten by an adder which had fallen off cliffs into the water.

He said: “There is a report of a Chinese man attacked by a sea snake who took 77 hours to die and his symptoms were the same as mine. I just want to warn other people.”

Experts said British coastal waters were too cold for sea snakes to occur naturally but that Dan might have been bitten by one which was DUMPED.

A Marine Conservation Society spokeswoman said: “If someone had kept a sea snake and let it go, potentially it could survive.”

via Tourist believes he was bitten by a tropical sea snake off the coast of Cornwall | The Sun |News.

ANTHEM, AZ – A Valley man almost lost his life this week after a rattlesnake sunk its fangs into his right thumb Sunday evening.

Bill Johnson of Anthem was taking out the trash after his daughter’s birthday party when he heard a “hissing sound.”

“I thought I might have either a gas line or water line that had come loose,” Johnson said.

It was 10 p.m. when he said he reached down into the darkness and was struck.

Johnson didn’t see his attacker, but said he knew from the power of the “bee-like sting” that it was a snake.

He rushed inside and said within five minutes, he passed out.

His wife called 911. The first hospital he went to did not have enough anti-venin to treat his severe condition, so he was airlifted to Good Samaritan hospital in Phoenix.

Johnson is the 14th rattlesnake case this month alone to receive treatment there.

Toxicologist Michael Levine said most rattlesnake bites aren’t life threatening, but Johnson’s was.

He was put on life support for 24 hours.

“This gentleman was critically ill,” said Levine. “I think he very well would have died if he didn’t get therapy.”

Good Samaritan sees an average of 60-80 rattlesnake bites a year, with monsoon season being the busiest time for the deadly desert dwellers to attack, according to Levine.

Not only did Johnson spend his daughter’s “Sweet 16″ hooked to IVs, he also celebrated his 18th wedding anniversary in a hospital gown.

“It was kind of odd because it was like I’d do anything to upstage those events,” said Johnson.

He was discharged from the hospital on Friday.

via Anthem man almost dies from snake bite.

A feisty 2-year-old Olinda boy who was bitten on the shin by a baby rattlesnake on Sunday is expected to make a full recovery and should soon be released from the hospital.

“He’s already trying to crawl out of his crib,” said the boy’s foster sister, 18-year-old Hannah Blue.

Blue said her baby foster brother, who she declined to name because he’s a foster child, was transferred to U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento after being rushed by ambulance to Mercy Medical Center in Redding.

Alex Bostick, a captain with the Happy Valley Fire Protection District, has said the boy was in the front yard of his Willett Way home when his foster mother heard him yell “snake!”

She ran out side, saw the foot-long snake, killed it and called 911.

Bostick said the boy was fearless, saying ‘Bad snake! Mean snake!’ to the firefighters when they arrived.

“He’s just a fun kid,” Blue said.

Paramedics were especially concerned given the boy’s age and the small size of the snake, since they’d heard that young rattlesnakes are generally considered to be more venomous, Bostick said.

But that’s not the case, said Bob Hassel, the owner of Animal Nuisance Control of Cottonwood.

“If you’re going to get bit, get bitten by a little one,” Hassel said. “That’s an old wives’ tale.”

Hassel, who has to frequently handle rattlesnakes, said small snakes have smaller fangs and less venom than their adult counterparts, making them less likely to inject as much venom, which is no more potent than an adult snake’s.

Mercy Medical Center’s emergency room chief Dr. Rob Hamilton said 10 or 12 people are bitten by rattlesnakes in the north state each year.

He has never heard of anyone local dying from a bite. He said as many as 25 percent of the bites are harmless, since the snakes often don’t inject venom in what are known as “dry bites.”

Rattlesnake venom is a hemotoxin, meaning it attacks the muscles and bloodstream rather than the body’s nervous system.

The venom starts breaking down muscle tissue to help a snake not only incapacitate its prey but also to aid in the snake’s digestion.

“It’s more like a really nasty digestive juice,” he said.

Even so, unless the venom is injected directly into a major blood vessel which pumps directly to the heart and the brain, the venom only attacks the area around a bite.

Hamilton said most bites are easily treated with anti-venom, and there’s little risk of allergic reactions any more since most hospitals use synthetic versions of the drugs.

Anti-venom is expensive, however, running around $1,000 for a small vial, he said.

Hamilton said that if someone gets bitten by a rattlesnake they should not panic and should head to their nearest hospital.

He said not to use tourniquets, snake bite kits or attempt to suck the poison out, all of which are likely to do more harm than the actual snakebite.

Hamilton said studies have shown that the age group most likely to be bitten by a rattler are 18- to 25-year-old men, most of whom are bitten on the upper body as they try to drunkenly play with or pickup a snake.

via Olinda toddler bitten by rattlesnake expected to recover » Redding Record Searchlight.

A TOURIST told yesterday how he was bitten by a poisonous sea snake – in Cornwall, UK.

Shocked Dan Muldowney was left in agony, bleeding and feeling dizzy for ten days after the attack.

The 4ft creature sank its fangs into his bare shin while he was bodyboarding on holiday with his family – leaving a double puncture wound.

It also bit him on the thigh but failed to penetrate his knee-length wetsuit.

Dan, 27, who believes he was the victim of a tropical species normally found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, said: “I felt something like a clump of seaweed against my leg, then a bang.

“When I looked in front of me I saw a snake with a black head shaped like a cobra – I clearly remember seeing its wide neck. No sooner had I seen it than it was gone.”

The attack at the popular resort of Newquay came just weeks after a fisherman saw a sea snake swimming at Whitsands in south-east Cornwall.

Dan, a surveyor, was enjoying a break with girlfriend Kenize Akhtar and their four children when he was bitten.

via Man’s 10-day agony in poisonous sea snake attack | The Daily Telegraph.

SAN DIEGO — While people become sicker and sicker from rattlesnake bites, researchers at the University of California, San Diego are working to combat that trend by developing more potent anti-venom.

Several weeks ago, a bite killed a 5-year-old Schnauzer in Bonita, but it’s not just dogs that have been bit that have raised the most alarms.

“It’s a definite concern,” said Dr. Richard Clark, the director of toxicology at UCSD.

Clark said although a few dozen human bites are reported locally every year, a puzzling trend has emerged.

“We continue to see very bad snake bites, probably worse than last several years previously,” he said.

More severe reactions, including breathing problems, low blood pressure, and uncontrollable bleeding have led many to wonder if rattlesnake venom is becoming more potent.

One theory proposes rodents, the rattlesnake’s food source, are developing resistance to venom, causing snakes to develop more potent venom by natural selection.

Another theory suggests the rattlesnake has evolved to have more potent venom because of a shrinking habitat and a tougher time finding food over the years.

None of these theories have been proven.

Whatever the cause, UCSD is researching a possible response in the form of more potent anti-venom. A clinical trial began a year and a half ago.

Unlike the conventional anti-venom, the molecules of the new anti-venom are bigger, which means a bigger potential impact on severe and recurring symptoms. The bigger molecules remain in the body long, making the anti-venom more effective.

Clinical trials should be complete by the end of the year. If proven effective, the anti-venom would be a much-needed weapon against venom that may be turning more potent.

Dr. Clark said that every year, there are several rattlesnake-related deaths in California. He said he fears the number could climb, because people with more severe reactions are more at risk for fatal complications.

via Local Rattlesnake Bites Becoming More Severe – San Diego News Story – KGTV San Diego.

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) – Several people have left comments on our Facebook page, saying they’ve seen more snakes on the South Plains since the July 4th weekend floods. One Tahoka woman is just glad her father is alive after being bitten by a rattlesnake multiple times.

Penny Redman said she always knew her dad was a fighter. “He’s been a real trooper, he’s a tough man,” said Redman.

A couple of weeks ago, 87-year-old Pug Parker of Tahoka went outside to get something out of a toolbox. “He’s diabetic so his vision is very poor, he reached in with his left hand because he can’t see, feeling for a screw and evidently there was a mom and some babies,” said Redman.

Parker was bitten ten times. Baby rattlesnake bites are more venomous than adult rattlesnakes. “They don’t know how to stop releasing the venom. They release all they have. Adults can judge how much they want to release,” said Redman. Parker was rushed by AeroCare to Covenant Hospital, and on the way to the hospital, the flight nurse administered anti-venom in the helicopter.

A few years ago, this immediate medical attention may not have been possible. AeroCare started carrying the anti-venom in 2008. “When AeroCare made the decision to carry the anti-venom, it was something that we could deliver to the rural communities that might not have the resources locally,” says flight nurse Bobby Sanchez.

Medical experts say after you are bitten, you have a four-hour window to seek medical attention, but the sooner you can get doses of the anti-venom, the better, and Redman believes that is why her father is alive today. “He’s a miracle… he is.”

Parker was checked into Covenant Specialty Hospital on June 24th. Doctors say he could be ready to go back to Tahoka as early as next week. His daughter tells us that he is healing like no diabetic should heal.

via 87-year-old Tahoka man recovering from multiple rattlesnake bites – KCBD, NewsChannel 11 Lubbock |.

A southern Colorado man is in critical condition after getting bitten by a rattlesnake several times.

He was bitten around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night outside his home in Hanover, near mile marker 119 on I-25, south of Fountain.

The 45-year-old man had to be airlifted to the hospital.

Hanover Fire Chief Carl Tatum tells 11 News the man had reached off his deck to pick up his dog when the snake bit him. When Tatum arrived seven minutes later, the man’s hand was already swollen.

“It looks like he got struck about four or five times,” said Hanover Fire Chief Carl Tatum.

Tina Jackson, Reptile and Amphibian Coordinator with the Colorado Division of Wildlife says she doesn’t hear of multiple bites very often and says the snake probably felt very threatened.

“Alot of times it’s just one bite whether it’s the person or the dog or other animal being bite,” said Jackson.

Jackson says dogs usually get bitten more often than humans do because they don’t interpret the rattle sound as a warning. But, the victim in this case told Fire Chief Tatum he didn’t hear any suspicious noise before he reached for his dog.

“The best thing to do if you have an idea there might be a rattlesnake in the area is to watch where you put your hands and feet. If we’re getting too close with our hands and our feet, that’s when they’ll try to protect themselves and potentially bite,” said Jackson.

Rattlesnakes can be found almost anywhere in Colorado. They are attracted to shelter and food.

via Man In Critical Condition After Rattlesnake Bite.

AURORA | Initially, there was no pain, but there were fang marks. Jim Kehl had been hiking in White Ranch Open Space Park in Golden seven years ago when the rattlesnake bit his calf.

“At first it didn’t feel like anything, just a tap,” said Kehl, an Evergreen resident who used to work in Aurora. “About 60 seconds later it started to ache. Like a really bad bee sting, except under the skin.”

Five minutes later, on the hike back down to his car, Kehl’s hands and face started tingling, his eyelids began twitching, his leg started swelling and his vision became blurry. An hour later, he was in a Wheat Ridge hospital receiving antivenom medication into his bloodstream, a limb-saving remedy that Kehl said cost about $48,000.

Local doctors say rattlesnake bites like Kehl’s are on the rise this year compared with previous years, for both humans and pets.

The culprit is the prairie rattlesnake, the most-common type of venomous snake in Colorado. It grows to about three feet in length and eats mostly ground squirrels, mice, rats, small rabbits and prairie dogs.

Great Plains Dog Park in Aurora has been closed indefinitely since early May because two dogs, owned by the same person, were bitten by a rattlesnake.

“Spring seems to be kind of the hotbed of activity,” said Matt Demey, a doctor at Seven Hills Veterinary Center in Aurora who has treated five dogs with snake bites this spring, up from the usual two or three cases he sees in a typical year. The sudden increase might be because younger snakes are more frequently seen slithering around during the springtime, and they’re more aggressive and more likely to strike than older snakes, Demey said. He expects to treat dogs with rattlesnake bites through fall, he said.

Dogs are commonly bitten around the face and neck, which could result in fatalities.

“Dogs will see snakes or smell them and go investigate with their noses, then get bit on the nose or face, which is the most dangerous place to be bit,” he said.

Within the first 30 minutes, the venom can cause swelling in the face and neck and can even block off airways. In most cases, antivenom can be a life-saving antidote. Dog owners should be prepared to drop at least $700 for the medicine, Demey said, who treated the two dogs bitten at Great Plains Dog Park.

The park is now closed until rattlesnakes are no longer considered to be a threat, said Jenna Baker, special projects coordinator for the city’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space department.

“We’re just doing an evaluation to determine when it can be reopened,” she said. “People, their pets and their safety are our main concern.”

The incident was the only recorded event this year in which a rattlesnake bit a dog in a city-owned property, she said.

Prairie rattlesnakes come out of hibernation in the spring, so it’s crucial that pet owners take precautions when hiking on local trails during the spring and summer, she said.

“It’s important for people to stay on trails, leash and supervise their pets, and if they see a snake, the best thing to do is give it distance,” Baker said.

If hikers encounter rattlesnakes, Baker says they should remain calm and walk away from the snake.

“They will not attack unless they are disturbed or threatened,” she said. “Walk around it, walk away from it and do not disturb it because it wants to get away from you as much as you want to get away from it.”

Rattlesnakes bite about 1,300 people a year in the United States, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

The bites in humans are seldom fatal, though, said Kennon Herd, physician at the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora.

“Deaths in the U.S. from snake bites are very rare,” he said. “They do happen — every year, one or two are reported. In general, those are cases where someone does not seek treatment or, very rarely, they have a severe reaction where a person will react very badly to antivenom.”

Usually the bites are not serious enough to require more than a tetanus shot or pain medication because there is only a small amount of venom injected, he said.

Herd says he has seen an increase in rattlesnake bites in humans this year.

“We see somewhere between 10 and 25 bites (in humans) a year in the metro area, and we’re towards the higher end of that this year,” Herd said.

In more serious cases where a patient’s limbs begin to swell and the injury worsens rapidly, antivenom is the only alternative to prevent tissue breakdown, he said.

Normally, the medication costs between $5,000 and $10,000, “but that would be on the low end,” Herd said. He has seen hospital bills in excess of $30,000 after rattlesnake bite treatment, but the medication is covered under most health insurances, he said.

“It’s one of those things that falls in the category of very expensive to produce and also it’s not commonly used,” he said.

Antivenom is created by injecting a small amount of venom into an animal like a sheep, goat or horse. The animal’s blood undergoes an immune response, producing antibodies, which are siphoned out and used to treat bites, Herd said.

Not everyone sees rattlesnakes as harmful perpetrators, ready to strike at any moment. Especially not snake handler Tim Gunther, a resident of Fort Collins who performs tricks with rattlesnakes in Kansas.

“The snake has had a bad rap,” said Gunther, who says he routinely performs a “kiss of death” trick in which a rattlesnake brushes its tongue across Gunther’s nose. “People think that if they see a snake, it’s going to attack them. That’s just not true. They don’t want to confront you because they know they’re going to lose.”

via Parks put on alert after rattler incident – News – Aurora Sentinel.

A man has been killed in a King Cobra attack. Adelaide Now reports Rajkishore Pani, 62, who earned the moniker “Kendrapada’s snake man” for his work with reptiles, was attacked when he went to rescue a King Cobra at a location in Garadapur village, on India’s east coast.

It is one of the most dangerous and feared Asiatic snakes and can grow to over eighteen feet long and is the world’s longest venomous snake.

***

One official compared the death to that of the Crocodile Hunter.  “The incident is akin to the death of famous Australian conservationist Steve Irwin in September 2006. Irwin was killed after he was attacked by a stingray while shooting for a TV program undersea,” said Sudhanshu Parida, secretary of the district unit of People for Animals, reports the Times of India.

The secretary added: “He had rescued a king cobra from a neighbour’s brick kiln even as his son’s marriage ceremony was going on. But the snake suddenly attacked him.”

via Man Killed by King Cobra Bite – Attack Kills Kendrapada’s Snake Man | Daily Reptile News.

Although a Trafford man was bit by a snake in Fayette County early Thursday morning, a local herpetologist said close encounters with reptiles are rare.

Chad Heasley, 39, was riding an all-terrain vehicle through the woods with friends when his vehicle got stuck in mud. State police said he went to get some rocks to help elevate his tires and a snake bit him. He was flown to Highlands Hospital and Health Center in Connellsville. A report on his condition was not immediately available.

Ken Stairs of Somerset, a field biologist, said trails go through scenic areas of high mountains where snakes live. Police had not confirmed what kind of snake bit Heasley, but there are copperheads and rattlesnakes in the woods near Connellsville, Stairs said.

“They are secretive and they like to go undetected and unmolested,” he said. “If you step on one or try to pick it up, you will get bit. The snake feels threatened.”

Snakes are often found around rocks or beside logs.

“Never be afraid to hike, but wear boots or sturdy shoes, not flip-flops,” he said. “Look carefully before sitting on the ground and don’t put your fingers on ledges without looking carefully. Step up on logs and look around the side before stepping over it. A snake may be lying on the ground near the log waiting for a chipmunk. Stay on the trail.”

It isn’t true that snakes travel in pairs. Adults that are hunting will be alone. Gestating females will be in groups — he once saw 46 together at a boulder. It isn’t true that snakes can strike a great distance. They can only strike about half of their body length or a little longer if they are on a rock. Their body length isn’t as long as people think, either.

“Snakes aren’t going to chase anybody,” he said. “They are looking for an escape route. Noise wakes them. If you hear a rattle, stop, look for the snake and sidestep around him.”

Ninety-five percent of snakes are nonpoisonous, Stairs said. Those bites are similar to scratches. Someone who is bitten by a poisonous snake can be treated in most hospitals and should be fine if he doesn’t have any underlying medical problems. It isn’t true that physicians need to know what type of snake bit you before starting treatment, he said. The medication is the same.

“Don’t take the snake to the hospital with you — it causes trauma in the ER,” Stairs said. “Thirty percent of bites are dry bites. Out in the southwest you may be further away from medical facilities and the snakes are bigger and have a higher toxicity. There a snake bite is more dangerous.”

Stairs was bitten by a snake once. He had wild-caught a western diamondback rattlesnake in Texas and brought it back with him. He was measuring the snake and it bit him on the thumb.

“It didn’t like being handled,” he said. “I spent seven days in the hospital.”

Venomous snake bites can cause tissue and nerve death. If you are bitten by a rattlesnake or copperhead snake, immobilize the limb at or above the heart if possible. If you are bit on the hand or arm, put your arm across your stomach and hold it there. If you have a cell phone with you, call 911.

“Remain calm — I know it’s hard, but keep your heart rate from going up,” Stairs said. “Get to the nearest medical facility as soon as you can, but don’t run. That raises the heart rate. If you are bit on the hand, remove any rings you’re wearing because your hand will swell. If you have a constricting band — not a tourniquet — put it above the bite. Don’t drink alcohol or take medications.”

The new antivenin serum is sheep blood based and has fewer side effects than the older one that was horse blood based.

About five years ago, he asked the state Health Department how many people in Pennsylvania died of bites from indigenous snakes. There were no deaths for 10 years prior to that.

Stairs and three other men are catching large male rattlesnakes and copperheads on a mountain in Bedford County where wind turbines are to be placed. Two-inch-long transmitters will be implanted in the snakes to track them to dens. The dens will be mapped so the wind turbines don’t break up the dens. The snakes will be caught again in the spring to remove the implants.

Dave Fox, Somerset County 911 coordinator, said people who hike on the trails or through woods need to be aware of where they are. They’ve had problems before with people having a medical emergency on the trail and because they are calling on an older cell phone or the tree canopy was interfering with reception, the 911 center couldn’t pinpoint their location.

“We asked one person where he parked his car so we’d have a starting point, and he replied ‘In a lot with a sign with a big P on it,’” he said. “You need to be aware of which trail you are on and where you went in. Try to know what direction you walked and about how far you walked. If you have a GPS that can be used while walking and a cell phone, take them along. Some people leave the main trail and are on footpaths. That causes problems. Never go alone. It’s like hunting season: You’re safer if you go in numbers. If you do go alone, tell somebody where you are going. People should also wear proper clothing in case they are stranded outside at night. Carry matches to start a fire. Take any survival gear you have.”

via Man bitten by snake in Fayette County woods – Johnstown’s Community Newspaper.

TAMPA – Growing up in Tampa, Mike Hendershot thought he knew snakes. He's even been bitten by non-poisonous ones a couple of times.

So Sunday night when he and his friends saw a foot and a half long snake under their car, Mike thought it was harmless.

“I've messed with snakes before. I saw this one, it looked like a garden snake to me. I just tried to, I was messing around. I tried to grab it,” he said.

But the snake turned its head, striking him. Its fangs pierced Mike's middle finger on his right hand.'

“It was as if someone hit me with a hammer on the finger. And then a needle. It was just a stinging, numbing pain,” he recalled, from his hospital room at University Community Hospital, in Tampa.

The 22-year-old recent FSU grad said he and his friends went on the internet and saw a picture of the snake. It turned out it was a water moccasin, a highly venomous snake.

Mike's friends rushed him to UCH, where he received 12 vials of anti-venin.

Hospital staff have had a lot of experience in venomous snake bites.

Last year, UCH treated the most poisonous snake bites than any other hospital in the country, with 15.

Jim Maister, a clinical pharmacist with UCH, said this is the season for snakes.

“Yes, it is the season. Summertime. They are cold-blooded animals, so they do need to warm themselves in the sun. It's one of those things, we have to be careful and we have to respect their environment too,” Maister said.

He's particularly worried right now too.

“Because this week, next week, all the kids get out of school. And there are lots of areas that are under construction. Areas that are plowed out or mowed over. These animals need some place to go, so they are going to end up in your garage, under your car,” Maister said.

Maister also says we all need to respect these animal's environment, and Mike Hendershot agrees. He admits it wasn't as easy as he thought to detect the differences between the poisonous snakes and the harmless ones.

“Don't grab them, that's for sure. Just don't even get around them,” Hendershot warned.

via Poisonous snakebite sends man to ER.

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A Fairfax County police statement warned that Virginia is home to three types of venomous belly sliders — the timber rattlesnake, cottonmouth and copperhead — and though fatalities are rare, all three are potentially deadly.

Snakebites can lead to swelling and bruising, sweating, weakness, nausea, vomiting and muscle twitching, according to the police.

“A lot of people don’t realize that we do have snakes, and they are poisonous,” Caldwell said. “Fairfax is semiurban, but there are still a lot of wildlife issues that people need to contend with.”

Dan Avstreih, an emergency physician at Inova Fairfax Hospital, said residents with existing medical conditions should be extra-careful.

“People with underlying medical conditions are at greater risk, and so an elderly person with base line medical problems would be at especially high risk [if bitten],” Avstreih said.

He also had advice for anyone bitten by a snake: Get to a hospital.

Avstreih warned residents never to assume a snakebite is harmless, or that they can correctly identify a venomous snake. He said anyone bitten should keep the affected area as immobile as possible and seek immediate medical care.

And no, you shouldn’t try to suck out the poison.

“That’s not useful, and you’re likely going to do more damage,” Avstreih said.

Police are warning residents to be especially mindful of small children and pets, and to stay on sidewalks and trails whenever possible while outdoors.

And please, after 10 p.m., try to keep the shrieking to a minimum.

Link

ENIGMA, Ga. (AP) – Police say an 82-year-old Berrien County man is dead after a rattlesnake bit him several times while he was fixing his lawnmower Wednesday.

Investigators believe Eddie Lee Dorminey was changing the lawnmower belt and didn’t notice the snake was there.

Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Larry Tabor says authorities first thought the man had died of a heart attack. But Tabor says when he looked under the lawnmower, he noticed a rattlesnake wrapped around a pulley.

He says authorities checked the body again, and saw puncture wounds on Dorminey’s wrist.

The venomous snake has been killed.

Link

Last Thursday, a Paige man died after being bit on the hand by a timber rattlesnake while he was in brush on the side of Old Potato Road in the northern part of the county.

George Yancey, 35, left behind his wife, Sandy and three children.

A benefit is planned this Saturday, beginning at noon, at Charlie’s Bar, 1200 Loop 230 in Smithville to help defray expenses for Yancey’s memorial service. Barbecue and gumbo plates will be served from noon until they run out. Live music will also be played and there will be a silent auction.

According to relatives, the snake bit George Yancey between his thumb and index finger on his right hand.

Jerry Dean, who George Yancey called “Grandpa Jerry,” said he received a call from Sandy Yancy asking him to come over to their house, right next to his.

“When I got there, I realized something was wrong when I saw her putting George in the truck,” Dean said. “He had a lot of problems with standing and fainted at one point. We tried to get him to stay awake by talking to him.”

Dean said Sandy immediately called for an ambulance, but because they were in Paige, it took about 30 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. In that time, George’s heart stopped beating, but once the paramedics arrived, they were able to resuscitate him, he said.

“They (the paramedics) were able to find a field nearby to land the helicopter and take him over to Brackenridge,” Dean said. “However, when we arrived, the doctors told us that he had died.”

According to Dean, the 6-foot snake held on to George’s hand for a long period of time and he tried to get it off with some items in his truck. When it did finally release his hand, Dean said they captured it under a bucket.

The paramedics were able to get a picture of the snake after killing it and later identified it as a caned rattler, a brownish-grey snake that gets darker towards the rattle.

George was laid to rest in Powell Cemetery in Austin on Wednesday.

“George was a real genuine person – he was everyone’s friend,” his brother, Jack, said. “If you needed anything, he would give you the shirt off his back.”

Link

A Floral Park man was hospitalized after being bitten on the hand by his pet diamondback rattlesnake, one of a handful of reptiles – most venomous – he kept at his residence in violation of New York State law, authorities said.

Robert Lantier, 31, was bitten inside his Oak Street home late Thursday morning and taken to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx for treatment where hospital spokeswoman…

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FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ — Ronn Hart still has trouble getting around after being bitten by a rattlesnake, even though the snake bit him more than two weeks ago.

“My leg was so swollen I couldn’t even get my shorts on,” said Hart.

His leg is still swollen, but Hart said at one point it was twice its size. He spent five days in the hospital and is just now able to get up and walk with crutches.

“Standing up just felt like all the fluids in my body were rushing into my leg below my knee,” Hart described.

Hart said he went to go hike in the Fountain Hills area and was reading a text message when he accidentally stepped on the rattlesnake.

“Don’t text and hike,” joked Hart. “I thought I kicked a rock or caught a stick or something.”

Doctors at Banner Good Samaritan’s Poison and Drug Information Center said this is the time of year they start seeing rattlesnake bites.

“The rattlesnake bite can be profoundly painful,” said Dr. Steven Curry, co-medical director of the center.

Although it’s rare to die from a snake bite, Curry said it is possible if someone doesn’t get immediate treatment. Most patients are given anti-venom to treat the bite and their symptoms.

“We see patients who we admit to the intensive care unit who certainly would have died,” said Curry.

But that treatment is expensive. Hart said he needed 18 vials of anti-venom, which according to Dr. Curry is average for most patients. Ron said the medicine ended up costing him more than $75,000.

Dr. Curry said the cost is hefty because the treatment is rare.

“The only anti-venom that’s available to use in the United States as an FDA approved product is very expensive and treatment for the average patient will certainly result in the administration of many thousands of dollars,” said Curry.

If you are bitten, Dr. Curry said do not use a tourniquet or anything to tie the bite. He said it can restrict blood flow and do more damage.

He also advised do not try to cut the bite or try to suck out the venom, saying it doesn’t do any good.

Anyone bitten on the hand is encouraged to remove any jewelry immediately before swelling begins.

Link

FLORAL PARK, N.Y. (WPIX) – A Floral Park man was rushed to the hospital Thursday morning after being attacked by a poisonous Western Diamondback rattlesnake in his home, police said.

The victim, identified as 31-year-old Robert Lantier, was rushed to Jacobi Hospital in the South Bronx where he was admitted. He was listed in fair condition late Thursday.

According to authorities, the pet rattlesnake was one of many venomous reptiles he kept at his Oak St. residence in violation of New York State law.

Animal control officers from the Suffolk SPCA and the State Department of Environmental Conservation converged on the home and later collected the illegal reptiles. Officers were seen emerging from the man’s home with large containers sealed with duct tape.

Among the animals seized included a cobra, a baby eyelash viper, a bamboo viper, an albino diamondback rattlesnake and a three-foot crocodile monitor. Crocodile monitors, considered to be the world’s longest lizards, can grow up to 10 feet long.

Nassau County Police tell PIX News that Lantier should expect to receive a slew of summons for housing the reptiles in his home.

Lantier, who was bitten on his left hand by the poisonous rattlesnake, is expected to survive from his injuries, a hospital spokesperson said.

Link

So it turns out that whole “I thought it was a stick in the mall parking lot but oh my goodness it was actually a cobra, in Baltimore… in freezing weather” story didn’t hold together.

BALTIMORE — Police with the Department of Natural Resources have charged a woman with possession of a venomous snake after she recently claimed she was bitten by one.

Last month, 58-year-old Betsy Nighthorse claimed she was bitten by a cobra that she discovered in a White Marsh parking lot.

Police investigating her claim found another snake — a Neo Tropical Rattlesnake — at her home in Hydes. The snake was about 4 feet long and 4 inches in diameter.

The rattlesnake was taken to the Catoctin Mountain Zoo in Thurmont, as was the cobra.
Nighthorse is due in court in April. She could get a $1,000 for each count.

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10 Most Poisonous Animals in the World info and 10 Most Poisonous Animals Photo Gallery Pics

It is really hard to tell which animal is the most poisonous in the world. The one that has the most toxic chemicals? The one that kills the biggest amount of people a year? Or maybe the one with the biggest amount of poison?

First of all, I have to admit that the title is a bit incorrect, because there is a difference between poisonous and venomous animals. A poisonous animal carries harmful chemicals called toxins primarily used for self defense. Therefore venomous animals deliver their toxins by stinging, stabbing, or biting. So poisonous animals are passive killers, while venomous animals are active killers.

Nevertheless, theory aside, they are all really dangerous. So look really closely at each photo, cause next time you meet them can be the last thing you ever see.

1. Box Jellyfish : If the yardstick for measuring the deadliest of the worlds mot poisonous creatures is assumed to be the number of deaths that have been caused by them, then the Box Jellyfish definitely tops our list of worlds most poisonous creatures. This creature, which is just about the size of a palm, has reportedly caused deaths to almost 6000 people till date. This number is the highest recorded number in the world. This blue colored jellyfish has one of the most powerful, tantalizing and venomous stings in the world and it is found around the coastlines of South East Asia and Australia.

Box Jellyfish Pictures and Photos

2. King Cobra :

King Cobra

The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world’s longest venomous snake – growing up to 5.6 m (18.5 ft) in length. Ophiophagus, literally means “snake-eater” as it eats other snakes. One single bite of this deadly snake can easily kill a human. This snake is even capable of killing a full-grown Asian Elephant within 3 hours if the larger animal is bitten in a vulnerable area such as the trunk.

It’s venom is not as toxic as other venomous snakes, but King Cobra is capable of injecting 5 times more venom than black mamba and can result in mortality up to 5 times faster than that of the black mamba. It is quite widespread, ranging across South and South-east Asia, living in dense highland forests.

3. Marbled Cone Snail

Marbled Cone Snail

This little beautiful looking Marbled Cone snail can be as deadly as any other animal on this list. One drop of its venom is so powerful that it can kill more than 20 humans. If you ever happen to be in warm salt water environment (where these snails are often found) and see it, dont even think of picking it up. Of course, the true purpose of its venom is to catch its prey.

Symptoms of a cone snail sting can start immediately or can be delayed in onset for days. It results in intense pain, swelling, numbness and tingling. Severe cases involve muscle paralysis, vision changes and breathing failure. There is no antivenom. However, only about 30 human deaths have been recorded from cone snail envenomation.

4. Blue-Ringed Octopus : The blue ringed Octopus was considered one of the worlds most poisonous sea creatures till some time back, until the Box Jellyfish took over. Nevertheless, this creature is till capable of killing up to 25 humans in one bite. Found in the Pacific pools from Japan to Australia, this creature’s bite is impalpable in most cases, but the venom starts working immediately on the muscles and heart- causing weakness, seizure and death within minutes.

Blue-Ringed Octopus

5. Death Stalker Scorpion :

Death Stalker Scorpion

Contrarily to the popular belief most of the scorpions are relatively harmless to humans as stings produce only local effects (pain, numbness or swelling). However, the Death Starker Scorpion is highly dangerous species because its venom is a powerful cocktail of neurotoxins which causes an intense and unbearable pain, then fever, followed by coma, convulsions, paralysis and death. Fortunately, while a sting from this scorpion is extremely painful, it would be unlikely to kill a healthy, adult human. Young children, the old, or infirm (with a heart condition) are at the biggest risk.

Death stalker scorpions are spread in North Africa and Middle East.
6. Stonefish : The stonefish is the worlds most poisonous fish, and probably the ugliest also. It is often remarked that when a stone fish attack a human being, the pain is so severe that the person wants to amputate the area affected. Its bit may not be lethal and can be treated within hours, but if left untreated for more than 2-3 hours, a bit from the stone fish can result into death for the human beings.

StoneFish

7. The Brazilian wandering spider :
The Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria) or banana spider appears in the Guinness Book of World Records 2007 for the most venomous spider and is the spider responsible for most human deaths.

This spider is believed to have the most potent neurotoxic venom of any living spider. Only 0.006mg (0.00000021oz) is sufficient to kill a mouse. They are also so dangerous because of their wandering nature. They often hide during daytime in highly populated areas inside houses, clothes, boots, and cars.

Its venomous bite causes not only intense pain, the venom of the spider can also cause priapism – uncomfortable erections lasting for many hours that lead to impotence.
The Brazilian wandering spider

8. Inland Taipan :

Inland Taipan

The inland Taipan is recognized as being the worlds most poisonous snake, having the capability to kill over a hundred human beings within 45 seconds from a single bite. Found in Australia, the Inland Taipan is definitely the one to beware of.

9. Poison Dart Frog :

Poison Dart Frog

Poison Dart Frog
The poison dart frog is another creature you might find cute if you found it in the wild but just touching this little guy can put you in harms way. Native to South and Central America, the frog got its name because indigenous tribes used to use the poison as an addition to their blow darts.

10. Puffer Fish : The puffer fish is a delicacy in many part of Japan and China, but some organs of the fish are deadly to the human beings- making it one of the worlds most poisonous and lethal animals. The poison of the fish is devastating for the one who consumes it and results in deadening of the muscles, increasing of the heart rate, dizziness, vomiting and permanent seizure within minutes of consuming the deadly poison.

The Puffer Fish

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Everyone is accusing the lady of lying. It would be sad if she were telling the truth. (But she probably isn’t.)

Video: Woman Bitten By Cobra Bags Snake, Takes To Docs

Woman Bitten By Cobra Bags Snake, Takes To Docs

Woman Says She Was Bitten In Baltimore County Parking Lot

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — A woman told authorities she was bitten by a poisonous cobra on Sunday in a Baltimore County parking lot.

Baltimore City Animal Control recovered the snake on Sunday, but where it came from has yet to be determined.

Authorities told 11 News the woman walked into a White March Patient First location with a snake bite — as well as the snake that bit her. She had stuffed it into a bag.

“What the patient told our medic crews is that she was in the parking lot of a local shopping center when she saw what she thought was a stick on the ground. She bent down to pick up the stick when it bit her. It turned out to be a snake,” said Baltimore County Fire Department spokeswoman Elise Armacost.

The snake turned out to be a venomous Asian cobra known as a monacle cobra.

Armacost said Patient First called 911.

“The staff at Patient First said that they had put the snake in a trash can and wanted to know what to do with it,” Armacost said.

She said as the patient was transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital, her team launched a search for the antivenom, first calling Falls Road Animal Hospital.

“If we’re going to use something this dangerous in a human, it has to be for human use only, and it can’t be out of date,” said veterinarian Dr. Kim Hammond, who has extensive experience with venomous snakes.

“In this temperature, there’s no cobra out there running wild. It would be frozen. It’s not just unlikely — it’s impossible.” - Dr. Kim Hammond, Falls Road Animal Hospital

Falls Road Animal Hospital played a key role in locating the antivenom, which was ultimately flown in from Philadelphia.

“There are so many different species of venomous animals that you have to — in order to get the correct antivenom — have the exact species. You have to know what antivenom to use, because the antivenom is toxic by itself,” Hammond said.

While the woman said she stepped on the cobra in a parking lot, the Maryland Poison Center said it’s not a public health issue and that they’re confident there are no cobras running wild in Baltimore.

Animal experts said that in January, that’s not even possible.

“In this temperature, there’s no cobra out there running wild. It would be frozen. It’s not just unlikely — it’s impossible,” Hammond said.

He said keeping a cobra as a pet is “stupid” and dangerous. It’s also illegal in Maryland.

Department of Natural Resources Police took the snake to the Catoctin Zoo in Thurmont. Officials said the cobra was clearly a captive snake and used to being hooked and handled and around humans.

It’s being quarantined for a few months in case it has a virus, and then it will join the rest of the collection, zoo officials said.

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What do you know? You live in an enclosure with 40 venomous snakes, apparently you’ll get bitten. Who would have predicted that?

Swart was biten three times on the right arm by a puffadder on Friday night, confirmed Chameleon Village Reptile and Conservation Park director David Dennis.

“After surviving three bites, the risk is a little bit too much,” said Dennis.

Swart walked into the snake enclosure near Hartbeestport Dam on 15 August last year but was biten by a puffadder just six days later. He spent 27 days in hospital.

“I then started over on 23-10-2009 knowing that I must be more careful, but then I got biten again on the 27-12-2009 by a snouted cobra on the same foot that the puffadder bit me,” wrote Swart on his website.

On Friday night, Swart was biten by a puffadder while watching a DVD. Dennis said fortunately the snake was smaller than the puffadder which bit him last year.

He said he hoped that Swart would be discharged from hospital today.

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LINCOLNTON — A Dallas man bitten by a timber rattlesnake was flown to Carolinas Medical Center over the weekend.

Michael J. Jacobs, 32, of Dallas, was at an East Sycamore Street home in Lincolnton Friday night when he said he got an unwelcome surprise.

Jacobs opened a plastic container and was bitten by a rattler that was inside.

“I didn’t know that it was in there. If I had known it was in there, I wouldn’t have opened it,” he said from his hospital bed Monday afternoon.

Jacobs said he expects to be in the hospital a few more days but felt lucky it wasn’t worse.

“It was an unfortunate accident. I’m lucky to be alive,” he said. “Luckily I watch enough ‘Animal Planet.’”

Jacobs said he opened the container to put a lizard inside. When the snake struck, one fang sunk into Jacobs’ finger. His body quickly felt all warm inside and he knew he needed to get to the hospital. Jacobs had a friend drive him to Carolinas Medical Center-Lincoln. He was later flown by helicopter to Charlotte.

Jacobs said keeping a cool head was important and noted that he had experience with exotic animals from working at a zoo.

Jacobs said he doesn’t know who put the snake in the tub.

The venomous snake, indigenous to North Carolina, isn’t meant for captivity, according to Officer C.R. Arnold with the N.C. Wildlife Commission.

Arnold was contacted by Lincolnton Police and visited the Sycamore Street home Monday.

“I’ve got one of the snakes in the front seat of my truck right now and I’m not real comfortable with it,” he said.

Arnold drove the snake to The Schiele Museum of Natural History Monday afternoon where the snake will be kept indefinitely.

A snake and a lizard are just two of the animals Lincolnton Police Detective Jason Munday saw when he went to the home.

Munday said he saw a caiman, part of the crocodile family.

Not typically found in this region, caimans come with regulations, Arnold said.

Local police did not press any charges, but the Wildlife Commission investigation is ongoing, said Arnold.

An important lesson can come from Jacobs’ venomous encounter, according to Arnold.

“Poisonous snakes don’t make good pets, especially if they’re indigenous to North Carolina,” he said. “If they find a rattlesnake they cannot keep it. It’s not a pet. It’s a wild animal. They cannot be bought, sold or traded.”

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A toddler has survived the bite of a highly venomous snake at a day care centre northeast of Perth.

Anais Nicholls, who is just 14 months old, was bitten by a 36cm-long Dugite snake at Bencubbin day care centre, 280km northeast of Perth on Friday afternoon, News Limited reports.

The snake crawled through a door at the centre, attracting Anais’ attention before she picked it up.

The day care centre’s staff gave her immediate medical attention, which included splinting the bite.

The toddler was then flown to Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth and was in a stable condition when she arrived about 9pm (WST) on Friday.

The snake was killed and brought to the hospital in a jar to help determine if venom had entered her blood stream.

By Saturday morning the little girl was said to be ‘very well’.

It is believed she will be released from hospital on Sunday.

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The body of missing Israeli hiker Omri Lahad, who disappeared over a month ago, has been found. It appears the 23-year-old hiker was R”L bitten by a poisonous snake, and his body was found near the Colombia-Brazil border.

The body was being held in a local police station since no one identified the remains, and the widespread circulation of his photo on missing person flyers alerted police to his identity.

It appears the determination regarding the snake bite is based on fang marks on his body. The family was officially informed and Foreign Ministry officials are making efforts to have the body returned home for kvura in Eretz Yisrael.

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ALEXANDRIA, MINN. - Jason Raasch was driving home from a trip to Missouri when he looked down and saw a rattlesnake in his car.

“I was pretty scared, because I’d never even seen a rattlesnake except for at the zoo, so for it to be in the car and to bite me to top it off was pretty scary,” Raasch said.

It happened at the intersection of I-94 and Highway 27 in Alexandria. Raasch said he didn’t know the snake was there until it bit him. Raasch’s friend rushed him to Douglas County Hospital where an ambulance took him to HCMC.  A few days later, Raasch developed pancreatitis, which was the start of his insurance problems.

“My health insurance would only cover so many days of my stay, and it just so happens that on that amount of days I was discharged,” Raasch explained.

The CT scans of Raasch’s stomach show a large mass by his pancreas.  Dr. Shawn Lanman with Alexandria Clinic found the mass and send Raasch to the University of Minnesota; however, they told him there was no mass.  Even though Raasch has proof there is in fact a mass in his stomach, the UofM won’t help him.

Raasch experiences intense stomach pain on a daily basis.  The pain is so great; his doctor isn’t allowing him to work at all.  Now Raasch can’t pay his bills.

“I’ve got bills.  I’ve got rent.  I mean I have all kinds of bills that need to be paid, and I can’t pay any of them,” Raasch said.

Those bills include his health insurance.  His insurance doesn’t cover most of his medical care, or some of his prescriptions.  The insurance won’t cover the 12 hour surgery Raasch needs to remove the mass.  He thinks that’s the reason Mayo and the UofM won’t help him.

“My insurance won’t cover it, and they won’t even see me without health insurance,” Raasch explained.

If he doesn’t pay his bills, Raasch might lose his insurance altogether.

“If they drop my health insurance, I’m like a fish out of water,” Raasch said.

He hopes the health care reform bill working its way through WashingtonD.C. will help his situation.  Until then, he’ll have to wait.

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TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 28 (UPI) — A Florida truck driver was bitten by two species of poisonous snakes while trying to retrieve his runa

Spokesman Will Darnell says John Agin, 46, was the 13th snake bite patient treated at University Community Hospital this year, the St. Petersburg (Fla.,) Times reports.

Agin said he was walking his rat terrier, Lil Bit, Tuesday when the dog ran away from him.

While chasing her, he suddenly felt a sharp, stinging pain in his right shin and when he looked down he saw a 10-inch, red-and-yellow snake gnawing on his foot.

Hillsborough County paramedics identified one bite as belonging to a pygmy rattlesnake. Hospital workers said a second bite was probably inflicted by a coral snake.

“It’s not impossible for snakes of two different kinds to be in the same area at the same time,” said Lt. Lisa Wood of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s anti-venom unit.

Agan said it’s not the first time he’s been bitten by a snake. He’s also had encounters with a water moccasin, a diamondback rattlesnake and some non-venomous species.

“They happened mostly around my yard,” he said.