Reptile & Amphibian Forums

WSVN (Miami, Florida) 26 April 05 Teenager Biten By Venomous Snake Taken To The Hospital
Southwest Miami-Dade: A South Florida teen is fighting for his life after a venomous snake strike.
The 15-year-old is recovering in intensive care from a water moccasin bite at Miami Children's Hospital.
According to his mother, the teen found the snake in his backyard in Hialeah a few days ago. Doctors gave him strong anti-venom drugs, but added that the snake was able to latch on for a long time.
Teenager Biten By Venomous Snake Taken To The Hospital

Anyone want to bet that this kid was trying to play with or kill this snake?

Sounds like a catch or kill situation to me too. Cottonmouths don't usually bite & hold in a defensive bite. With proper treatment he ought to make it.

~~Greg~~

being a Florida native I can tell you that most people know to give mocs a WIDE berth down there, I would bet money that he was messing with it. He should have played with the Cuda's instead, they are less likely to bite.

Didn't the article say his mom said he found it a few days ago? You don't think he was keeping it do you?

np

{Wes Note: Compliments from the ole Newt guy to both azatrox and lateralis; you two nailed it when you indicated that this accident (as previously described) could have only happened if someone had been fussing with something better left alone. Kudos gentlemen.
Cheers,
Wes (I learned something today)}

WPLG (Miami, Florida) Teen Catches Venomous Snake, Nearly Dies After Reptile Strikes
Miami-Dade County, Fla.: A 15-year-old boy nearly died Monday night after a water moccasin that he'd caught several days earlier bit him.
"A couple days ago he brought it home. I wasn't aware it was a poisonous snake," said Adonis Ornelas' mother, Tabatha Rivera. "I had advised him that he needed to take it out of my home and apparently, he didn't do that."
Lt. Ernie Jilson of the venom response unit delivered life-saving anti-venin to Ornelas and showed the snake that bit him to Local 10 News. He said the teen is lucky to be alive.
"The animal bit, latched on and didn't let go. So it injected quite a bit of venom," Jilson said. "It was a severe invenomation. Actually, we were touch and go for a little bit last night. But hopefully everything will work out fine and he will make a 100 percent recovery."
Ornelas' mother credited doctors and rescuers for their quick action. She also said she knows she can't make her son stop collecting reptiles, so she plans to learn more about which snakes she should keep an eye out for.
"At first I was kind of angry because I did tell him to get rid of it … but we discussed it and he just said he loves them," Rivera said.
http://www.local10.com/news/4417710/detail.html

WBBH (Ft Myers, Florida) 27 April 05 Teen survives snake bite
Hialeah (AP): A Hialeah teen's mother says her son is sore but expected to make a full recovery after suffering a snake bite.
Fifteen year-old Adonis Ornelas was bitten on the inner thigh Monday by a water moccasin.
Lieutenant Ernie Jillson of the Miami-Dade venom unit says it's snake season and advises people to stay away from snakes because they could be dangerous.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Web site, most of the snakes seen along Florida rivers and lake edges are harmless water snakes.
Last September, two Nassau County cousins were treated for snake bites. Doctors believe the snakes were water moccasins.
And two years ago a Jacksonville man was also bitten by a water moccasin while shopping in a lawn and garden section of a Wal-Mart.
http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=3169&z=3&p=