DAILY RECORD (Parsippany, New Jersey) 22 July 08 Snake bites finger of man at reservoir (Rob Jennings)
Rockaway Twp.: A man was taken to the hospital Monday evening after he was bitten bit by a non-poisonous black snake near the Split Rock Reservoir, Rockaway Township Fire Director Joe Mason said.
The man, believed to be in his 30s, was walking with his wife and son at 6:15 p.m. near the boat launch area when the snake bit his right index finger, Mason said.
Mason said the man drove to the Hibernia firehouse on Green Pond Road, where it was determined that he had not been bitten by a poisonous snake.
"There was no puncture wound like with a poisonous snake," said Mason, who was with the man at the firehouse.
The man was taken to St. Clare's Hospital in Denville for further evaluation, Mason said.
Mason did not know the size of the snake. The 625-acre Split Rock Reservoir, owned by Jersey City but opened to the public by the state Department of Environmental Protection in 2003, is a popular draw that is open to those with electric and nonmotorized boats.
The reservoir is surrounded by miles of thickly wooded trails where hikers are cautioned to beware of snakes, along with other wildlife.
"We have snake bites in that area, but they're not numerous," Mason said.
Snake bites finger of man at reservoir