By Matt Wiley
Although rattlesnakes are often perceived as a desert menace, they’re actually quite common in our area and it’s important to keep an eye out for them (and other venomous animals), or it could result in a painful bite and even a stay at a local hospital.
Hope Allen, a resident of Grand Hampton and executive director of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC), walked out to her mailbox just after 7 p.m. on October 29, not knowing that it would be the last pain-free walk she would have for many weeks. While grabbing her mail with one foot in the grass and the other on her driveway, a pygmy rattlesnake somewhere between 12-18 inches long lashed out and bit Allen’s ankle.
“It felt like a sledgehammer came down on my foot,” Allen explains. “I didn’t even hear a rattle, but I turned around and saw the snake coiled up, with its head raised and fangs out. It got me good.”
The bite sent her on a trip straight to Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. Five days later, she finally was released, but not before being treated with 18 vials of antivenin during a 24-hour period, and spending two days in the Intensive Care Unit.
“It’s been a horrible experience,” Allen told us just before our press time. “But, I’m on the mend.” Allen made an attempt to return to work part-time the week of November 10, including making an appearance at the WCCC ribbon cutting event at DPW Legal on Nov. 11 (photo right & see pg. 37).
According to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), pygmy rattlesnakes, or “ground rattlers,” are members of the pit viper family and common in every county in Florida. They’re usually found in areas near lakes, ponds and marshes. On average, the snakes measure less than 18 inches in length and usually are gray in color, with rounded black and red spots along their backs. Allen says that the snake that bit her looked about that size.
“Pygmies are fairly common snakes,” says FWC spokesperson Gary Morse. “And, for a little snake, they have a nasty disposition whenever they feel cornered or threatened.”
Pygmy bites are known to cause pain and swelling, and can be fatal if not treated properly. The Poison Center Tampa reports that, like the diamondback rattlesnake and water moccasin (cottonmouth), the bitten area will display puncture wounds and pain, blisters, bruising, swelling and oozing of blood. Bites from coral snakes (red, yellow and black striped snakes) often result in just small scratches and mild swelling, but still require immediate medical attention.
Morse says that it’s always important to watch where you’re putting your hands and feet, especially if out in the wild when there is a chance you could come into contact with venomous animals or insects like spiders or scorpions. However, snakes can be found nearly anywhere, especially near construction sites, where rodents and insects are common.
As a precaution, Morse recommends making sure your yard is free of debris, giving snakes less of a reason to seek shelter there.
FHWC spokesperson Tracy Clouser said that at our press time there had been eight snake bite cases treated at the hospital this year, down from 11 in 2013.
Clouser says that when a patient comes in with a venomous snake bite, the attending doctors stay in constant contact with Poison Center Tampa.
“The doctors send over blood work and keep the Poison Center up-to-date on the wound’s appearance and the amount of swelling,” Clouser says. “They make the call on if and when to administer the anti-venin.”
Sometimes, anti-venin isn’t necessary, as the Poison Center’s website explains that 25 percent of snake bites are “dry bites,” or bites in which venom isn’t introduced to the body. However, if bitten by a pygmy rattler or any other venomous snake, it’s strongly recommended that victims go straight to the hospital. If unsure about whether or not the snake was venomous, it’s still a safe bet to get it checked out by a medical professional to avoid any further complications.
Remove tight clothing or jewelry around the bite and keep the bitten limb at heart level to help ease swelling and prevent venom from traveling more easily through the bloodstream. Also, applying ice or a tourniquet can actually worsen damage done by a venomous snake bite. For more info, please visit MyFWC.com.
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