Reptile & Amphibian Forums

NEWS-JOURNAL (Longview, Texas) 16 July 05 Man trimming tree 60 feet above ground bit by snake (Maranda Harris)
A Longview man is recovering in an Arkansas hospital after being bitten by a snake while working near Hope, Ark., on Wednesday.
Ron Coleman, owner of a Gilmer business that trims trees for power line companies, said Fernando Cerna, one of his employees, was trimming a pecan tree when a snake believed to be a timber rattlesnake bit him on the hand.
"There are six men who climb and trim the trees from the top down, and some of them were using a long rope to help Fernando get up the tree," Coleman said. "When he reached the 60-foot mark, the snake popped out and bit him on the left hand, so they lowered him back down immediately and took him to the local hospital."
Cerna was then airlifted to the University Of Arkansas Medical Center in Little Rock, and he is expected to remain there through the weekend.
"I've never heard of anybody that has ever been bitten 60 feet in the air," Coleman said. "The insurance company had never heard of anything like that either. It was very weird that it happened, but he is in good spirits and doing well."
Coleman said the snake was about four feet long with rattles on its tail and had markings that fit the description of a timber rattlesnake.
William Garvin, supervisor of Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, said rattlesnakes are not known for climbing trees.
"They are almost exclusively terrestrial," Garvin said. "Almost all rattlesnakes just aren't made for that type of activity because they are generally heavy and can't hang on well. It puts them in a dangerous situation."
Garvin said based on his experience, none of the venomous snakes in North America are known for climbing trees.
"That really blows me away," Garvin said. "Rat snakes will climb trees, but our venomous snakes usually stay on the ground."
Man trimming tree 60 feet above ground bit by snake

What in the world would a timber rattler be doing 60 FEET in the AIR! Like explained in the article, they aren't tree climbers. I think someone was playing with the snake got bit, then decided to make workman's comp take care of the bill!

What do you guys think?

chris

>>NEWS-JOURNAL (Longview, Texas) 16 July 05 Man trimming tree 60 feet above ground bit by snake (Maranda Harris)
>>A Longview man is recovering in an Arkansas hospital after being bitten by a snake while working near Hope, Ark., on Wednesday.
>>Ron Coleman, owner of a Gilmer business that trims trees for power line companies, said Fernando Cerna, one of his employees, was trimming a pecan tree when a snake believed to be a timber rattlesnake bit him on the hand.
>>"There are six men who climb and trim the trees from the top down, and some of them were using a long rope to help Fernando get up the tree," Coleman said. "When he reached the 60-foot mark, the snake popped out and bit him on the left hand, so they lowered him back down immediately and took him to the local hospital."
>>Cerna was then airlifted to the University Of Arkansas Medical Center in Little Rock, and he is expected to remain there through the weekend.
>>"I've never heard of anybody that has ever been bitten 60 feet in the air," Coleman said. "The insurance company had never heard of anything like that either. It was very weird that it happened, but he is in good spirits and doing well."
>>Coleman said the snake was about four feet long with rattles on its tail and had markings that fit the description of a timber rattlesnake.
>>William Garvin, supervisor of Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, said rattlesnakes are not known for climbing trees.
>>"They are almost exclusively terrestrial," Garvin said. "Almost all rattlesnakes just aren't made for that type of activity because they are generally heavy and can't hang on well. It puts them in a dangerous situation."
>>Garvin said based on his experience, none of the venomous snakes in North America are known for climbing trees.
>>"That really blows me away," Garvin said. "Rat snakes will climb trees, but our venomous snakes usually stay on the ground."
>>Man trimming tree 60 feet above ground bit by snake

Timber Rattlesnake may be a better name for that species than was once thought. I have heard of numerous encounters of Timbers very high in trees, 20 ft plus by respected Ratllesnake researchers. I know somebody who took a bad bite in the elbow from a timber he never saw till he was tagged, it was in a small tree. One of the investigators at the BOR sysmposium told the story how he turned around next to a tree and found himself nose to nose with a Timber he was tracking (by telemetry). He slowly backed off to a safe distance.

Al

-----
"Fighting on the forums is like competing in the Special Olympics, even if you win, you're still retarded."

DH June 2005

I hope the owner doesn't mind me providing a link to his website, but he has a great picture of a timber in a tree.

http://www.snakeman1982.com/

Jason

perhaps I should keep my mouth shut until I know what im talking about huh?? lol

>>I hope the owner doesn't mind me providing a link to his website, but he has a great picture of a timber in a tree.
>>
>>http://www.snakeman1982.com/
>>
>>Jason

Don't worry, I too thought it was a bunch of b.s. I still do, actually. Yes timbers have been know to go into low trees and shrubs at times, but 60' is excessive, even for many somewhat arboreal snake species. Considering that timbers here in AR make a large, almost entire part of their diet on chipmunks and the occasional passing mouse, and sometimes only feed once or twice per year (according to Dr. Steven Beaupre of the Univ of Arkansas, Fayetteville, who is largely considered 'the man' when it comes to horridus here in this state), I doubt that one would venture to such lofty heights in search of a meal. Farming is huge in that area of the state, so there are plenty of rodents to go around. My guess is that the guy was loafing instead of doing his job, saw the snake, messed with it, was bitten, and lied about why. That, or he, like many of the immigrant Mexican and El Salvadorean workers here, couldn't speak English and the attending EMTs couldn't figure out what he was saying. Whatever the truth was, I'm thinking it wasn't that he was tagged 60' in a pecan tree by a horridus. Of course, this is all conjecture and hearsay, but such is my right
-Chance
-----
Chance Duncan
www.rivervalleyexotics.com

I was aware that some rattlesnakes are definitely more arboreal than one would think. I have seen pictures of timbers and other species in trees up to 10 feet off the ground. But I have a very hard time believing that a timber made it's way 60 up a tree. I would tend to agree with the other posters that this is most likely not how the incident really occurred. While definitely possible, I would guess it's HIGHLY improbable.

I released a 4 foot Canebrake on a rescue call, and much to my astonishment it crawled over to the nearest tree and climbed into a 7 or 8 foot sapling.

I've seen them spend quite a bit of time on branches in enclosures but that's the only time I've seen one do it in the wild.

Chad Minter
Author
Venomous Snakes of the Southeast
http://www.envenomated.com

Here in Az, C. molossus is quite arboreal, but even at that, 60 feet is a pretty high distance for them to climb....There just aren't a whole lot of reasons that a Crotalus would expend that much energy to get that high....

I'll agree with the other posters here and say that I think the guy was fooling with it and got bitten...Most people would accept the story with a shrug and carry on, not knowing the difference....

-AzAtrox

Especially since this is a supposedly protected species in Texas.
Normal harassment may have gotten him in trouble.
-----
Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
Conservation through Education