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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 |.

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.

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.

“Hey Dad, I’m riding a turtle.”

My 13-year-old daughter, Abby, was helping clear some of the weeds from our pond and was calling out to me while standing neck deep in weedy water.

I glanced over at her smiling face from where I was lifting out clumps of weeds. The claim didn’t make much sense to me and I figured this was going to be some kind of joke: “Nah, you’re not riding a turtle.”

“Well I’m standing on its back and it’s moving.”

“It’s probably a rock.”

“How much will you give me if it’s a turtle?” she persisted.

“I’ll give you five bucks.” I was starting to think maybe she was really riding a turtle.

“If you’re really on a snapping turtle you’d probably better just swim away, those things have a bite.”

“I really want to catch him. Bring over a bucket so I can throw him in it when I get him.”

I waded over with a medium-sized bucket.

“That’s not big enough.”

I waded back with five gallon bucket. Abby paused. “What are you doing, Abby?”

“Praying.”

The next moment Abby went down under water while I stood with the bucket at the ready.

She came up with a huge snapping monster which she quickly pitched into the bucket.

We took this beast onto shore and surveyed him as he easily snapped off finger-thick sticks with lightning strikes from his powerful jaws.

I was picturing my daughter’s fingers.

“Abby, next time you’re riding a turtle just swim away. But, I have to say, I believe that’s a $10 turtle.”

Snapping turtles are just one of the dangerous creatures folks encounter in east Tennessee. However snappers almost never bother you unless you’re actively bothering them.

Let’s take a brief look at the other potentially dangerous creatures you might encounter around the woods, streams, ponds and backyards of our area.

Let’s start with snakes. There are four kinds of venomous snakes in Tennessee: northern and southern copperhead, timber rattlesnake, western cottonmouth and the western pigmy rattlesnake.

The copperhead is a relatively shy snake, but they account for the most reported bites each year in Tennessee.

Roughly 50 percent of their bites are dry bites; meaning that when they bite, no venom is injected.

Fatal bites are exceedingly rare in Tennessee. Although there are 50,000 deaths worldwide from venomous snakebites reported each year, only 12-15 are in the United States.

Within Tennessee, only four deaths from venomous snakebites have been reported since 1960.

If bitten, the best approach is to try to remain calm and get to a local emergency room. Remove all jewelry around or above the bite area, since there will probably be swelling. But do not apply a tourniquet, nor make cuts around the bite, nor try to suck out the venom. These are outdated approaches that can cause delay, tissue damage, and infection. Don’t try to capture the snake since anti venom is the same for all Tennessee snakes and trying to capture the snake only increases the chances of a second snakebite victim. On average, bites from copperheads result in a week of pain, eleven days of extremity swelling, and two weeks of missed work.

Moving to the smaller culprits, there are two spiders of concern: the black widow and the brown recluse. The black widow is black with a telltale yellow or red hourglass marking on its underside. They are often found in basements, woodpiles and rock walls. Symptoms of a bite may include profuse sweating, nausea, vomiting, headache, and muscle spasms.

The brown recluse hides out in unused shoes, attics, closets and boxes. Its venom destroys tissue. Pain may occur at the bite site six to eight hours afterwards. At 48 hours, there may be itching, redness, blisters, and then a dark crust may form at the bite site followed by sloughing off of some tissue. A visit to the doctor would be wise after a bite from either of these two venomous spiders.

Tennessee is also home to two species of scorpion, the southern unstriped scorpion and the introduced striped Scorpion. Rocky hillsides, rock or brick walls, crawl spaces, and log piles are favorite scorpion habitats. The sting of these scorpions is considered mild. The sensation is a sharp pain that usually lasts for 15 to 20 minutes.

What about fish? The dorsal and pectoral fins of many species of catfish, particularly the small mad toms, have venomous spines that can inflict painful wounds, though generally not life threatening.

Then, of course, there are the red and the black fire ants, bees, wasps, and hornets.

If you should get bitten or stung by any of these creatures, be sure to get immediate medical attention if any of the following occur: Difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips or throat, slurred speech, chest pain, faintness, rapid heart rate, nausea, cramping, vomiting, or a known venomous snakebite.

In spite of all these worrisome critters, the outdoors is still hard to beat here in east Tennessee. So enjoy it! But keep your eyes open.

via Dangerous creatures could ruin a summer.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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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.

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Logger bitten by snake

By Lisa Tindell

news editor

Published:

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 9:22 AM CDT

One rattlesnake bite can lead to a serious situation, but a Brewton area man is living through the ordeal of having been bitten eight times.

Johnny Lavon Odom’s family is thankful for his life. Odom’s wife, Nancy, said he has spent more than three weeks in intensive care as a result of the incident, which took place in the Little River community in western Escambia County.

“He has been in ICU for 24 days,” Nancy said. “The doctors are saying we are just taking it a day at a time right now.”

Nancy said Odom is now able to sit up for a period of time but will remain in ICU until a ventilator is no longer needed.

“He is still on the ventilator some,” Nancy said. “The doctors are trying to build up his lungs so they take him off the ventilator for a little at a time. He will have to be off the ventilator before they can move him to a room on the floor.”

Nancy said the medical bills are continuing to mount with no planned release from the hospital in the near future.

“I’m not sure what the bill is right now,” Nancy said. “A couple of weeks ago one of the hospital staff members told me it was already near six figures.”

The log truck driver does not have any medical insurance, Nancy said.

“I don’t know exactly what we will do about that,” Nancy said. “We’ll just have to see what we can do.”

A rattlesnake bite can be debilitating or even deadly. Jackie Word, director of Turtle Point Science Center in Flomaton, said the age of the snake could have a great bearing on the amount of venom injected into a victim.

“Younger snakes have less control on the amount of venom they inject into their victim,” Word said. “They are more reckless and careless with their venom. Older snakes, on the other hand, have more control over their venom.”

Although Odom was reportedly bitten eight times, Word said chances are that venom wasn’t injected on every bite.

“Typically, it’s my belief that a snake’s venom supply is exhausted after two or possibly three bites,” Word said. “Of course, in a defense situation, typically snakes inject venom in smaller doses in repeated strikes.”

Nancy said she is not sure just what happened to her husband in the woods of the Little River community — and he does not remember.

“I’m not clear on exactly what happened out there,” Nancy said. “He’s very lucky though. He seems to be getting better. Right now, he’s just a little bored sitting in ICU.”

Physical therapists are working with Odom on a regular basis, Nancy said. His physicians have not determined a possible date for discharge, she said.

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A Dothan man has died from apparent snake bites.

Henry County coroner Derek Wright says 65-year-old Larry D. Lewis died Friday. Wright said he thought at first that Lewis died from heat stroke but then found two puncture wounds on Lewis’ body. Wright says Lewis was bitten on the right side of the neck and the right hand.

Wright says Lewis’ son found his father collapsed next to a tractor in a field on the family farm in Henry County. Wright estimates Lewis was bitten around 12 p.m. Friday, according to a story in The Dothan Eagle.

Wright says rescue workers didn’t find the snake, but he believes it was likely a rattlesnake.

Wright says the fact that Lewis was bitten in the neck is probably what made the attack fatal.

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A Winder man died Saturday morning after a rattlesnake bit him while he was hunting in Oglethorpe County with his grandson.

Dick Rupert, 68, got bitten in the calf at about 7:30 a.m. by a small rattlesnake in the woods off Thaxton Wynne Road south of U.S. Highway 78, Oglethorpe County Coroner James Mathews said.

Rupert died at Wills Memorial Hospital in Washington about an hour later, Mathews said.

The rattlesnake bit Rupert in the calf as he climbed down from a tree stand, he said.

Rupert tried to get back to the road on a four-wheeler driven by his 12-year-old grandson, but he passed out and fell off twice, Mathews said. He was unresponsive when Oglethorpe EMS workers arrived at 7:44 a.m.

“The grandson was doing CPR when our crew got there,” Mathews said. “But Mr. Rupert was already in full cardiac arrest.”

The puncture marks on Rupert’s calf could barely be seen, Mathews said.

Thaxton Wynne Road runs between U.S. 78 and Georgia Highway 22 about seven miles southeast of Lexington, not far from the Wilkes County border.

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Lightning strikes, rattler bites man in two-day span

What are the chances?

By JB Miller

Published Friday, September 18, 2009 1:11 PM MDT

It was getting to be rather a ho-hum weekend at the Sonoita-Elgin Fire District firehouse when Mother Nature struck from sky and earth.�

On the afternoon of Sept. 13, Sonoita-Elgin Fire Department (SEFD) personnel responded to Rain Valley after a lightning strike ignited a fire that burned nearly three acres near a subdivision. �

“Lucky for us it rained shortly after the strike so all we had to do was basically mop up,” said SEFD Battalion Chief Kevin Venos. “People right now think we’re in good shape, but we still need to keep our eyes peeled.”

On Sept. 14, a local construction worker was brought to the station to be treated for a rattlesnake bite.� The snake struck the worker after he lifted a piece of sheet metal.�

“The poor fellow got hammered good,” said Venos.�

Emergency personnel knew the man was bitten in the leg by a Mojave rattlesnake because the worker’s boss decapitated the snake and brought it in a bucket. Venos said that isn’t necessary anymore because the anti-venom is the same for all snake bites. �

“It looked like it hit him twice,” said Venos. “That’s an automatic helicopter ride.”�

The patient, “a young adult,” was flown to University Medical Center in Tucson.�

Lightning strikes, rattler bites man in two-day span

What are the chances?

By JB Miller

Published Friday, September 18, 2009 1:11 PM MDT

It was getting to be rather a ho-hum weekend at the Sonoita-Elgin Fire District firehouse when Mother Nature struck from sky and earth.�

On the afternoon of Sept. 13, Sonoita-Elgin Fire Department (SEFD) personnel responded to Rain Valley after a lightning strike ignited a fire that burned nearly three acres near a subdivision. �

“Lucky for us it rained shortly after the strike so all we had to do was basically mop up,” said SEFD Battalion Chief Kevin Venos. “People right now think we’re in good shape, but we still need to keep our eyes peeled.”

On Sept. 14, a local construction worker was brought to the station to be treated for a rattlesnake bite.� The snake struck the worker after he lifted a piece of sheet metal.�

“The poor fellow got hammered good,” said Venos.�

Emergency personnel knew the man was bitten in the leg by a Mojave rattlesnake because the worker’s boss decapitated the snake and brought it in a bucket. Venos said that isn’t necessary anymore because the anti-venom is the same for all snake bites. �

“It looked like it hit him twice,” said Venos. “That’s an automatic helicopter ride.”�

The patient, “a young adult,” was flown to University Medical Center in Tucson.�

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You have to click through for the pictures. Incredibly large.

Huge Snake Found In St. Augustine Neighborhood (PIC)

By

Adam Kirk – Morning News Producer

@ October 1, 2009 4:30 AM Permalink | Comments (16)

It’s thicker than your arm… and taller than most basketball players… and it was found in a St. Augustine neighborhood.

The 7 foot 3 inch Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake made its way into Tuscany Village, off State Road 16 and I-95.

When someone spotted it, they called police, who called a professional trapper.

Brandon Booth caught it and killed it.

“When I got there, I looked at it and said, ‘That’s bigger than 6 feet,’” Booth said. “I didn’t have time to really think. I just jumped out of the truck with my gig and got him. He wasn’t going to get away.”

Photos Courtesy of our news partner Channel 4 and Jason Huntley.

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ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida — A 27-year-old Palm Coast man has been hospitalized after being bitten by a pygmy rattlesnake while shopping for a fern at a Walmart garden center.

Jeriel Joiner told the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office that he was bitten on his right pointer finger in the garden center at a Walmart store in St. Augustine.

The snake was still holding on when he knocked it off. A Walmart employee killed the snake with a broom.

Joiner was hospitalized in the Flagler Hospital in serious condition on Wednesday.

According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, doctors administered an antivenin, but Joiner had a severe allergic reaction. Joiner was given a number of allergy medicines to stop the reaction, and was moved to the intensive care unit at Shands Hospital in Jacksonville.

Joiner’s fiancee, Rhiannon Gross, said on Thursday the swelling that was once in just one finger had spread through his right hand and up his arm.

Gross said the doctors gave them the option of taking the antivenin again as a slower pace and in diluted form, but that they would have to sign a waiver. They turned down the option.

According to Gross, Joiner could get permanent nerve damage, arm paralysis and amputation.

The couple is considering a lawsuit, saying Walmart did nothing to help them until an “elderly greeter” shooed the snake away.

He is the fourth person bitten since 2006 at the company’s stores in Florida.

Walmart spokesman Dan Fogleman in Bentonville, Ark., said the safety of customers and employees is a top priority. The garden center is closed while the company works to ensure it is safe.

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ST. AUGUSTINE, FL — A local Walmart had an unwelcome guest Tuesday, and it left a customer in the hospital.

According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, a man was looking at some plants in the garden center Tuesday afternoon, and dropped a baby bottle.

The bottle rolled under the plastic shelves that were holding the plants.

When he reached under the shelf to get the bottle, he felt a bite.

He pulled his hand out, and a baby pigmy rattlesnake was holding on to his finger.

He knocked the snake off and a Walmart associate killed the snake.

Rescue personnel took the man to Flagler Hospital for treatment. He was in critical condition, but was stabilized. He was then taken to Shands in Jacksonville, where he is in serious condition as of Wednesday afternoon.

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WINTERGREEN — An injured man had to be airlifted Tuesday from the Blue Ridge Parkway and flown to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville after he was repeatedly bitten by a poisonous snake, according to details released by the Waynesboro First-Aid Crew.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, was spotted about 2 p.m. leaning against a tree at the 9.6 mile marker at the Dripping Rock pull-off, said Chief George Maupin of the Waynesboro First-Aid Crew. Maupin said the man told a passerby that he’d been bitten five times in the hand by a timber rattlesnake.

By the time rescue personnel arrived at the scene, Maupin said, “he wasn’t able to talk to us when we got there. He was in a dazed state.”

Maupin said the victim, whose identity has not been released, was airlifted from Reed’s Gap. He did not know the man’s condition, but added, “We would assume he was critical.”

Maupin said the man had been about a quarter of a mile off the Blue Ridge Parkway and was alone when attacked, but said rescue personnel received limited details about the incident.

“We’re not sure of the exact circumstances,” he said.

According to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Web site, the timber rattlesnake is venomous and can grow up to 60 inches long. It is typically nocturnal in the summer months and lives at elevations up to 6,000 feet, sometimes even higher, in the Blue Ridge.

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Rattlesnake bite sends Pierson man to hospital

By PATRICIO G. BALONA
Staff Writer

PIERSON — A Pierson man was rushed to a Daytona Beach hospital after he was bitten by a rattlesnake this morning, authorities said.

Emergency workers assisting the man said he suffered a single snake bite to the lower left calf.

Eastern diamondback rattlesnake

The adult male, whose identity was not released, showed up at the Volusia County Fire Services Station 44 in Pierson at 9:36 a.m., said county fire services spokeswoman Pat Kuehn.

“He said he had been bitten by a diamondback rattler,” Kuehn said.

Fire paramedics at the station at 132 N. Fountain Drive in Pierson cared for the snake bite victim until a sheriff’s helicopter arrived to transport him, Kuehn said.

The unidentified man was airlifted in stable condtiion to Halifax Health Medical Center, said EVAC spokesman Mark O’Keefe.

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Texas hospitals seeing alarming increase in rattlesnake bites

SAN ANTONIO — Hospitals across central Texas said they are seeing an alarming increase in rattlesnake bites.

Hays County has treated five people for the bites in recent weeks, and Travis County reported eleven rattlesnake bites in the last three months.

So, why the increase now?

Experts say it is mating season for snakes. But the drought is also pushing them into residential areas to find water.

EMS officials in the area have teamed up with experts from the Snake Farm in New Braunfels to educate the public on how to be more careful, and what to do if they come across a rattlesnake.

They said if you get bitten call 911 immediately, because a rattlesnake bite can be deadly.

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Officials advise caution in wake of rattlesnake bites

Health authorities in the sun-baked Interior are advising caution after three incidents of rattlesnake bites near Penticton in the last month.

Last week an Okanagan man was bitten on the ankle after stepping on a rattler in his backyard. After four days in intensive care and 40 vials of anti-venom, costing $1,000 each, his condition has stabilized.

Another person was bitten on the hand while out on a trail, and the other was bitten on the finger in a backyard.

On average there are five rattlesnake bites a year in B.C., and there have been two deaths in the province’s recorded history.

Rattlers reside on grassy hillsides in territory ranging from the southern Okanagan to the northern outskirts of Kamloops, and have come into increasing contact with humans owing to residential development.

Here are some tips from Interior doctors familiar with rattlesnake bites:

Keep in mind that the striking distance of a snake is about two-thirds its length. Do not pick up or handle snakes. Even a dead snake can bite and release venom through reflexes for 90 minutes after it dies.

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Girl Bitten by Rattlesnake Nearly Loses Leg

A 9-year-old Washington City girl is recovering after being bitten by a rattlesnake.
She was recently bitten while walking around her grandparents backyard in Brookside.

By the time Cassie Robinson arrived in Saint George her leg was swollen and bruised.
“We figured we’d get in, get the anti-venom, and then be able to go home…but no” Cassie’s mother J’neal Robinson said.
Cassie was then flown to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake. By the time she arrived, the Doctors had assembled the anti-venom to give her. Then they went and got more.
“Normally they give anywhere between 10-20 vials (to patients) but they ended up giving her 38 vials. So they thought the snake really injected a lot of venom.” J’neal Robinson added.
Medical staff checked the swelling of her leg every hour.
They watched and even marked her with a pen, tracing the venom’s path through her leg.
Her parents say at that point every touch left Cassie in excruciating pain.
Joseph Robinson, Cassie’s Father, says, “most adults wouldn’t act the way she did. She was really brave, and a trouper through the whole thing.”
The best part for Cassie was when her leg started improving.
The Doctors, who had kept the family positive the whole time, then expressed concerns from earlier.
“A pediatrician was telling us that this is a bad bite, and we’re grateful it didn’t get any farther than that” J’neal said.
None more grateful than Cassie Robinson, who has a busy summer ahead of her.
Doctor’s say it will take Cassie at least four more weeks of rest and physical therapy to fully recover.

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Man bitten by young rattlesnake in Poolesville

Two to six people annually are bitten by venomous snakes in Maryland

Sam Pettengill encountered his fair share of rattlers when he lived in Arizona, so he was unfazed when he found a small brown snake just inside the door of his Poolesville home Sunday.

Pettengill, a cook who lives and works at Kunzang Palyul Choling Buddhist temple on River Road, discovered the 7-inch snake around 11 p.m. after coming back from a walk with his dog. He tried pick up the snake to bring it outside when it bit him on the knuckle. Twice.

“It hurt like a bee sting, like something burning,” Pettengill, 36, said from his room at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital on Tuesday.

An hour and a half later, his hand was swollen and the pain began traveling up his arm. Pettengill looked at pictures online to figure out what bit him — a timber rattlesnake, one of two venomous snake species found in the state, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Timber rattlers live in rocky, forested areas and can grow up to 6 feet long but average 9-10 inches when they’re born, according to the department. They generally avoid people but will venture inside to hibernate or follow mice.

Pettengill was treated with antivenin and will require some physical therapy to regain full use of his arm, he said. He moved to Poolesville in September from Arizona, where he occasionally had to relocate large rattlesnakes. He assumed the small snake was a more innocuous species and was shocked when it fought back.

“It was just five seconds of grabbing a snake,” he said. “Poison control didn’t even believe me.”

Venomous snake bites are uncommon in Maryland, according to DNR — two to six people are bitten each year and fatalities are rare. About 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the U.S. each year and about five are killed, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Doctors at Shady Grove see one to two venomous snake bites a year, mostly people who keep the animals as pets or have encountered them in the wild, according to emergency physician Dr. Joel Buzy.

“It’s actually fairly rare,” he said.

People who suspect they have been bitten by a venomous snake should remain calm, immobilize the bitten area and immediately seek medical attention, Buzy said. Remove tight jewelry or clothing from the bitten extremity and remember what the snake looked like so it can be identified. Do not ice or cool the bite, use a tourniquet, cut the skin or attempt to suck out the venom.

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Utah girl bitten by rattlesnake recovers at Primary Children’s

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) – A nine year-old Washington county girl is spending her birthday at Primary Children’s Medical Center. She was bitten by a large rattlesnake.  Cassie Robinson was playing at her grandma’s house in Brookside when the snake struck her from behind — without any warning. Wednesday is Cassie’s birthday, and it’s one she’ll never forget, anymore than she can forget what put her in this hospital bed.  “I was going up the path and it felt like something grabbed me and I turned around and it was a rattlesnake,” Cassie said.  She says there was no warning, no rattle. But Cassie says when she saw the rattlesnake behind her, she knew what happened. “It was scary,” she said.  The fang marks in her ankle were bleeding when she ran into the house. “She was saying over and over “I got bit by a snake,’” Cassie’s mom, Jneal Robinson said.  Cassie’s dad knew if they could identify it, Cassie could get better treatment. He found it nearby. “It was three to five feet,” Cassie’s dad, Joe Robinson said.  Cassie’s foot and leg were starting to swell and turn purple. “I knew that we needed to get her to the medical center soon as we could because every precious minute counts,” Joe said.  Cassie was rushed to a hospital in St. George, where they gave her anti-venom. Then she was flown to Primary Children’s Medical Center. “This was a really bad bite,” Cassie’s Doctor, Michelle Hoffman said.  Hoffman said Cassie’s bite was full of venom, and required 38 viles of anti-venom, unusual for our state.  Hoffman said acting quickly was important, because rattlesnake bites can be life threatening if untreated. Cassie’s parents want others to educate their kids about the dangers of snakes. “Be aware of places that they might be, and watch your kids. Watch where they play and just warn them,” Jneal said.  Cassie has a warning too: watch before you step. She is responding well to treatment, and may be able to go home as soon as tomorrow.  Her aunt tells us she is going to have a pair of boots made out of the snake skin, so Cassie can kick that snake around.

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Girl bitten by rattler on school playground

By BECKY SHAY – Billings Gazette – 05/31/09

BILLINGS — A student at Eagle Cliffs Elementary was hospitalized Friday after being bitten by a rattlesnake.

Billings School District 2 Superintendent Jack Copps said the unidentified girl is in the lower grades. She was on the playground shortly before 11 a.m. and was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Steve Wilson, a captain with the Billings Fire Department, was one of the first emergency responders on the scene, along with engineer Bret Thormahlen and firefighter Craig Riske. He said the girl, who is 6 or 7 years old, told the firefighters she was running on the playground when “she ran into what felt like a couple of sharp sticks” on her foot, which turned out to be the snakebite

“She was a little scared but still in good spirits,” Wilson said.

The snake was caught and killed by somebody at the school before emergency crews arrived. It was a small rattlesnake, about a foot long, with just one rattle on its tail.

At about 6 p.m., Copps said he was told the girl would stay overnight at the hospital for treatment and evaluation, but did not know her condition. 

Children are being advised not to pick up snakes and to report seeing snakes immediately to adults. School officials will inspect the playground and aren’t sure yet whether they will close the area to students.

“It may have been a small snake, and that means there may be a den up there we need to look for,” said Copps.

Two Billings health care providers said snakes like to avoid people and people should try to avoid them, including not reaching under rocks or into other places where snakes may hide to avoid the heat.

“It’s a dangerous time for snakes,” said Dr. Peter Light at Billings Clinic. “They are usually very active at this time of year.”

Someone bitten by a snake should go to the nearest emergency department. It is important to avoid significant activity and exertion, Light said. Venom starts in the soft tissue and will eventually go into the bloodstream and circulate, he said.

“Then it causes problems,” Light said. “If it’s not systemic, it’s better for the patient.”

Dean Angell is a registered nurse at St. Vincent Healthcare emergency department who has an interest in rattlesnakes. The most common variety in this part of Montana are prairie rattlers. Research suggests about 40 percent of their bites are “dry” and do not release significant amounts of venom, he said, but people should not make assumptions.

“Things are drying out and the snakes are starting to come out,” Wilson said. He has been a firefighter for 25 years and said this is the first rattlesnake bite to which he’s responded, but that the possibility of a bite is always there.

If enough venom is injected, there will be immediate swelling and pain. But, it can also take hours for other venom complications, such as neurological or clotting abnormalities, to become obvious.

“We want anyone who has been bitten by a snake, whether they think it is a rattlesnake or not, to come in,” he said.

Antivenin counteracts the effects of the venom. Both Billings hospitals have adequate supplies of the drug, which is called Cro-Fab. Antivenin is expensive, Angell said, and how much is needed depends on the bite and the reaction. He’s seen people who require two to three doses and those who require more than 20 vials.

Both Angell and Light also said snakes have their place in the world, including helping to control rodent populations.

“They are part of the food chain,” Angell said. “If you see a rattlesnake, they don’t want to bother you if you don’t bother them.”