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WSVN (Miami, Florida) 14 November 06 Man recovering after poisonous snake bite

Tamarac, Fla.: A man is recovering from a potentially lethal bite after he confused a coral snake with a less dangerous serpent.

The 53-year-old land surveyor was at a work site when he pulled what he thought was a king snake from a shrub. The animal was actually a coral snake that grabbed hold of the man's hand and bit him before he could release the venomous reptile.

Believing the bite to be from a non-poisonous snake, the victim ignored the attack for almost an hour -- until he began noticing symptoms.

"There is a difficulty swallowing, a difficulty speaking and things of that sort," said Chief Al Cruz of the Miami-Dade Venom Response Unit.

Rescue crews transported the man to University Hospital, where the Venom Response team administered an antidote for the poisonous bite. Doctors say the victim most likely received treatment just in time.

"This particular snake has the potential to kill somebody," Cruz said.

Officials warn anyone coming across a red, black and yellow snake to be cautious, as both the king and coral snake have the same coloring. Experts say victims can start to detect symptoms of a poisonous bite anywhere from one to twelve hours following the incident.

The patient is expected to make a full recovery, and the coral snake is currently in the custody of the Miami-Dade Venom Response Unit.
Man recovering after poisonous snake bite

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• FL Press: Man recovering after bite - W von Papineäu, Tue Nov 14 18:35:50 2006