SARASOTA, Fla. — A Sarasota County family is warning its neighbors to be on alert after an alligator pounced on their dog and dragged it into a lake.

An alligator killed Darryl Mizer’s 50-pound keeshond Noah on Tuesday. A trapper tried to locate and catch the animal but has not been able to find it.

Gary Morse, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, says dogs resemble an alligator’s natural prey, and that such attacks are not uncommon.

Mizer, a retired psychologist, said Noah was fighting cancer and had to go outside a few times each night. At about 2 a.m. Tuesday, the dog wandered near the lake and was attacked.

via Alligator attacks, kills Sarasota family’s dog – Florida AP – MiamiHerald.com.

When Jack Musick heard that a teen had been bitten while surfing off Sandbridge last month, he immediately got to work trying to pin down the culprit.

Could it have been a bull shark?

Probably not, concluded Musick, a professor emeritus at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science who investigates shark attacks. They’re uncommon in Virginia.

How about a sandbar shark?

Not likely. They’re not very active and prefer to feed in deeper water.

Maybe a blacktip shark?

Bingo. According to Musick’s report, which he’s submitted to the International Shark Attack File in Florida, the attacker was probably a small blacktip or spinner shark, maybe even two.

Those species often visit Virginia’s waters in September, he wrote. They’re also active feeders and have been implicated in similar nonfatal attacks here, in Florida and elsewhere. The circumstances also fit, Musick said.

Caleb Kauchak, 18, was wading in chest-deep water next to his surfboard the afternoon of Sept. 24 when something latched onto his ankle, shook him and let go. He jumped onto his board and felt another bite, on his knee.

He needed 51 stitches. While his injuries have healed almost completely, the scars still draw lots of attention, Kauchak said.

The attack – in murky water during the time of day when sharks start to feed – was most likely a case of mistaken identity, Musick said. The shark probably thought Kauchak’s leg was a fish, and let go when it realized its mistake, he said.

“The shark was too small for it to have been a predatory attack,” Musick said. “Also, if that had been a large shark, the damage would’ve been a lot greater. It probably would have removed a limb or something.”

Shark attacks are rare in Virginia. In 2001, however, a shark fatally attacked a 10-year-old Richmond boy as he surfed with his father off Sandbridge, not far from where Kauchak was bitten. A 9-1/2 foot bull shark is believed responsible.

Whatever bit Kauchak was much smaller.

Blacktip sharks can get up to 5 feet 9 inches long and tend to live in shallow coastal waters from New England to Florida, according to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science website. Spinners can grow up to 9 feet 10 inches long and visit southern Virginia’s waters on occasion.

Those two species have been linked to 58 attacks on humans in the past 50 years, according to estimates by the International Shark Attack File, which tracks all shark bites worldwide. One, in 1973 involving a teen being bitten in the elbow while snorkeling and spearing crabs south of Sandbridge, was similar to the attack on Kauchak, Musick said.

With just three or four shark attacks in Virginia in the past 40 years, and millions of people in the water here over the years, Musick said the “probability of a shark encounter is miniscule.”

via Attack in Va. Beach was likely from 1 of 2 shark species | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com.

Williamsburg, MO (KSDK) — Even if there are a few scrapes between them, John Reynolds insist his dogs are friendly. All 17 of them. All pit bulls.

“They were like best buddies,” Reynolds says of his father the 84 year old Rev. John Reynolds and one of the pit bulls. “My dad would sit there and feed him off his spoon. They slept together.”

Reynolds says no one knew his dogs’ nature more than his father who owned the home and property where John raises the dogs.

Which makes what he found on Wednesday night, October 13th, even harder to understand.

“I could see that he’d been attacked by something,” Reynolds recalls.

He came home that night and found his father on the ground in the pen with severe bite marks. He did not survive the attack.

The sheriff’s department says the dogs were on the loose but, with the exception of one dog who was wounded, showed few signs of an attack given the severity of Rev. Reynolds’ injuries.

“They think that my dad might have been out here and they might have been playing or rough-housing and it got out of control,” Reynolds says of his conversations with investigators. “But I just can’t, I don’t believe it.”

He admits it’s only speculation, but Reynolds believes stray dogs or possibly even a mountain lion may have attacked his father and his pit bulls.

While extremely rare, the Sheriff says deputies have taken reports on, and had sightings of, mountain lions in Callaway County. The official report on Rev. Reynolds’ death only says his injuries were consistent with an animal attack.

“I know that there [are] a lot of people out there that are dead set against pit bulls and I’m sure they’re going to try to use this to get their point across,” says Reynolds, defending his dogs. “I know he wouldn’t like it,” he says of his late father.

The investigation is ongoing, but the Sheriff says there won’t be any charges since the property owner has passed away. The dogs won’t be seized because the county doesn’t have the resources to handle that

via Rev. John Reynolds found dead with severe bite marks | ksdk.com | St. Louis, MO.

Williamsburg, MO (KSDK) — Even if there are a few scrapes between them, John Reynolds insist his dogs are friendly. All 17 of them. All pit bulls.

“They were like best buddies,” Reynolds says of his father the 84 year old Rev. John Reynolds and one of the pit bulls. “My dad would sit there and feed him off his spoon. They slept together.”

Reynolds says no one knew his dogs’ nature more than his father who owned the home and property where John raises the dogs.

Which makes what he found on Wednesday night, October 13th, even harder to understand.

“I could see that he’d been attacked by something,” Reynolds recalls.

He came home that night and found his father on the ground in the pen with severe bite marks. He did not survive the attack.

The sheriff’s department says the dogs were on the loose but, with the exception of one dog who was wounded, showed few signs of an attack given the severity of Rev. Reynolds’ injuries.

“They think that my dad might have been out here and they might have been playing or rough-housing and it got out of control,” Reynolds says of his conversations with investigators. “But I just can’t, I don’t believe it.”

He admits it’s only speculation, but Reynolds believes stray dogs or possibly even a mountain lion may have attacked his father and his pit bulls.

While extremely rare, the Sheriff says deputies have taken reports on, and had sightings of, mountain lions in Callaway County. The official report on Rev. Reynolds’ death only says his injuries were consistent with an animal attack.

“I know that there [are] a lot of people out there that are dead set against pit bulls and I’m sure they’re going to try to use this to get their point across,” says Reynolds, defending his dogs. “I know he wouldn’t like it,” he says of his late father.

The investigation is ongoing, but the Sheriff says there won’t be any charges since the property owner has passed away. The dogs won’t be seized because the county doesn’t have the resources to handle that

via Rev. John Reynolds found dead with severe bite marks | ksdk.com | St. Louis, MO.

ST. GEORGE, Utah — Two students suffered life-threatening injuries when they were struck by lightning, school district officials said.

Police told ksl.com that the students were struck outside Snow Canyon High School in Santa Clara just after 3 p.m. The two boys, identified as Alex Lambsen and Christopher “Dane” Zdunich, were flown to the University Medical Center’s burn unit in Las Vegas for treatment.

Washington County school district spokesman Brad Ferguson said school had just gotten out for the day when they were hit.

“They were just a few yards from the building,” Ferguson said. He didn’t know the boys’ ages, but said Zdunich is a junior and Lambson is a senior.

The Spectrum of St. George reported the boys were standing under a tree, taking shelter from rain when they were struck. Other students were outside when it happened, but no one else was injured, Ferguson said.

A principal, two vice principals and a resource officer from another school, carried the boys inside the building and began CPR, St. George Police Sgt. Craig Harding told the Deseret News.

“They were afraid of another strike,” Ferguson said.

Zdunich and Lambson were taken to a St. George hospital and were in critical condition when they were flown to Las Vegas, he said.

Santa Clara is a St. George suburb in southwestern Utah.

via 2 Utah students critically hurt by lightning – Weather – msnbc.com.

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 bitten by an eastern massasauga rattlesnake, Michigan’s only venomous snake, is recovering after being treated with anti-venom at a local hospital and released Friday evening.

The unidentified man was walking with his beagle in the woods behind his home around 6:45 p.m. when he was bitten, according to Sgt. Mark Buffa of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

Beaumont Hospital spokeswoman Karen LeDuc said the man was brought in shortly after the bite.

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

Buffa said the man’s dog was bit first. When he “came up to investigate, he got bit,” Buffa said.

The dog’s condition was unclear late Friday.

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. It usually feeds on small rodents and frogs, and adults can grow to 2

to 3

feet long.

Friday’s incident marks the third snake bite involving an eastern massasauga rattlesnake in a month.

A dog was bitten by one in late September and also treated with anti-venom from the Detroit Zoo.

via Man recovering after rattlesnake bite | detnews.com | The Detroit 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.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) ― The Wyoming Game and Fish Department says an elk hunter shot and killed a grizzly bear after the animal bit his arm.

The bear attack happened Thursday afternoon in the Jim Mountain area midway between Cody and Yellowstone National Park.

The man was able to hike out three miles and drive himself to the hospital in Cody where he remained overnight.

Game and Fish spokesman Dennie Hammer says the injuries weren’t severe. He says Game and Fish and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating and the identity of the out-of-state man isn’t being released.

At least 38 grizzly bears have died in the Yellowstone ecosystem this year. Grizzlies are protected as a threatened species and the mortality count can affect their status under the Endangered Species Act.

via NW Wyo. Hunter Kills Griz That Bit His Arm – cbs4denver.com.