FAIR HAVEN — The first rattlesnake bite in Vermont in a half-century prompted state wildlife officials Friday to warn people to exercise caution around the venomous reptiles.
Rutland County game warden Don Isabelle said he couldn’t identify the man who was bitten on Sheldon Road Tuesday.
But he said the man was taken to Rutland Regional Medical Center where he was treated with antivenin to counteract the poison. While the snake’s venom is rarely fatal, Isabelle said the man — who state and game and Fair Haven Police said they could not identify — was hospitalized at least until Thursday.
A hospital spokeswoman said she could not release information about the man or even confirm that a snake-bite patient had been admitted to the hospital without the man’s name.
Isabelle said the incident took place Tuesday evening when the man and his wife were driving on Sheldon Road.
The couple came upon the snake while it was crossing the road. Isabelle said the man tried to move the snake along using a stick, prompting the snake to strike.
The man was bitten between the thumb and index finger, Isabelle said.
“They’re usually pretty docile until provoked,” Isabelle said. “It would have been best to wait until it crossed.”
The eastern timber rattlesnake is found in only a handful of areas in Vermont and only in Fair Haven and West Haven in Rutland County, according to Fish and Wildlife biologist Doug Blodgett.
“It’s very rare that anyone gets bit,” he said, adding that the last recorded rattlesnake bite in the state was in 1959. “There’s not too many of them and they’re not aggressive.”
In the majority of cases, he said humans would do well to leave the snakes alone. If a rattler has to be moved, he said they should call state police in Rutland County at 773-9101 and ask to have one of six trained snake handlers remove the animal.
“I think it’s important to get the message out that snakes aren’t necessarily lying in wait to ambush people,” he said. “It’s actually the opposite — they’re very timid and docile. This individual was just too close. Doing what he did, that’s not a wise move.”
While hospital officials wouldn’t talk about the incident on Tuesday, emergency room doctor Holly Dunn said snake bites are both rare and potentially lethal.
“Every year, people in the northern hemisphere die from bites by poisonous snakes. So a bite from any rattlesnake should be considered extremely serious,” she said. “If there is ever any question about a snake bite, you should seek medical assistance.”
Dunn also said those bitten by a snake should take its picture so doctors can identify the species.
In addition to its characteristic rattle, eastern timber rattlers are heavy-bodied snakes with large, triangular heads, Blodgett said.
