REGISTER CITIZEN (Torrington, Connecticut) 01 August 04 Rattlesnakes in the Northwest Corner (Doug Jaggers)
Sharon: Officials at Sharon Hospital want residents to know it has a sufficient supply of Timber Rattlesnake and Copperhead anti-venom.
The hospital released a statement Friday, following a snakebite incident on the Appalachian Trail in Salisbury, to let people know its staff was prepared.
"In light of the recent snake bite occurrence in Salisbury there has been a concern about the availability of antivenin and the accessibility of treatment at Sharon Hospital," the statement said. "The community can be assured that Sharon Hospital has sufficient amount of CroFab polybalent antivenin for treatment of both rattlesnake and copperhead bites."
It added that the hospital’s emergency department staff is prepared to handle any incident related to snake bites.
A 62-year-old man through-hiking the Appalachian Trail was thought to have been bitten by either a Timber Rattlesnake or Copperhead Monday afternoon. He was taken to Sharon Hospital and then flown by Lifestar helicopter to Hartford for additional treatment.
Chuck Annicelli, president of the Connecticut Herpetologists League and a lab technician at Yale’s immunology department, said anti-venom - which is made from antibodies of a horse injected with small doses of purified venom - is expensive and sometimes of limited supply. The largest problem facing doctors treating snakebite victims is the unpredictability of the situation.
"When it comes to anti-venom, it’s not an exact science," Annicelli said. "You may need one vile, or you may need 50. It just depends on the situation."
The man, who was hiking from Georgia to Maine on the trail, was released from the hospital soon after being admitted Monday and was reportedly seen in Salisbury on Wednesday, leaving doubt as to whether the snake was actually venomous.
The Timber Rattlesnake is venomous and can kill a human, but a bite isn’t always a deathblow, according to Annicelli. "It depends on how the body reacts," Annicelli said. It also depends on how much venom the snake injects. He said approximately 25 percent of rattlesnake bites are "dry bites," that contain little or no venom.
Other factors include the size of the snake - Timber Rattlesnakes can range from two to six feet long. The bigger the snake, the longer the fangs and the deeper the venom, which actually begins the digestion process within its prey, can be injected.
Annicelli said the quick response of the hiker was appropriate. Waiting to see what happens with a snakebite can be dangerous.
The hemotoxic venom breaks down red blood cells and causes severe swelling, which can cut off blood flow to limbs, killing tissue. Annicelli said snakebite victims who don’t die may still lose a finger or foot if the swelling isn’t treated in time.
Timber Rattlesnake bites are rare in the state. Annicelli estimated that the number of incidents ranges from zero to five each year, and most of those are on the Appalachian Trail. He said the snakes aren’t aggressive and are usually content to try to hide from humans rather than fight to defend themselves.
"They’re very placid animals and they blend in so well," Annicelli explained. He said the snakes, which have rattles on their tails, rarely send an auditory warning. Most bites occur when someone unexpectedly steps on a rattlesnake.
"You’re not dinner to them," Annicelli said. "They will usually run away. Typically they’re more afraid of you than you are of them."
According to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s Wildlife Division, there are Timber Rattlesnake populations in Central Connecticut -- in areas like Portland and Glastonbury - and in the Northwest Corner -- in Kent, Sharon and Salisbury.
Annicelli said the snakes prefer to live in elevations above 350 feet and they like rocky terrain, making homes in the crevices of slab rock.
"That’s why you find more in the Northwest Corner," he said.
The forest-dwelling reptiles are native to the area, but were nearly wiped out in the late 1800s and early 1900s because of deforestation and aggressive hunting. Annicelli said there was a time when residents were paid $1 for every dead rattlesnake they brought to their town officials.
Today the species is listed as endangered and protected by state law. Not only is it illegal to harm a rattlesnake, it’s against the law to disturb one.
"You can’t touch these animals," Annicelli said.
Development in the snakes’ habitat has increased the number of rattlesnake encounters, and Annicelli said it will happen more and more as Connecticut’s population continues to shift north along the western edge of the state.
The wildlife division says there are some things you can do to discourage migrating rattlesnakes from using your yard. Keeping grass cut short, removing brush piles and stone walls will eliminate hiding places for the snakes.
The agency says a human presence is usually enough to drive off the rattlesnakes, but if a snake persists, there is help. A list of volunteers who are qualified to handle venomous snakes is available by calling the wildlife division at 624-7239, or the Department of Environmental Protection communications office at 566-3333.
Rattlesnakes in the Northwest Corner