Poisonous snake bites former Stockbridge teacher
Massasaugas have been considered federally threatened since 2016 and are expected to become extinct. Therefore, unless one’s life is threatened, it is illegal to harm them. Photo by David Bowen.
by Diane Rockall
On August 20, a Massasauga rattler bit former Stockbridge art teacher Laura Bowen in her Pinckney residence backyard. The Stockbridge Community News is pleased to report that she is recovering nicely and by mid-September felt well enough to take a brief trip. Bowen says she expects to return to normal soon.
On the day of the incident, Bowen was cleaning her garage and had decided to move several items to a storage building. Because her hands were full, she lacked clear visibility and apparently came too close to, or actually stepped on, the resting snake. It responded with a nasty bite.
Bowen felt a sharp burning sensation and looked down to see the coiled snake eyeing her. She had her cell phone with her, so snapped a picture of the culprit and emailed it to her husband, David. He told her to call 911 at once.
He arrived home while emergency workers were preparing to take her to the hospital. The snake was quietly slithering away, so David snapped its photograph, above.
Massasaugas have been considered federally threatened since 2016 and are expected to become extinct. Therefore, unless one’s life is threatened, it is illegal to harm them. They are rare, but commonly found in open wetlands with few trees or shrubs nearby. Their major habitats are located in Ontario, Canada and Michigan’s lower peninsula.
Use caution in these areas. The full-sized snake runs two feet long and can strike from one and half feet away. These reptiles possess rattlers that they use to send warning signs, but those unfamiliar with the sound or engaged in conversation may fail to notice.
Antivenins are available, and as it turns out, Bowen’s photographs were most helpful because antivenins vary for each poisonous snake. Without a definite description and identification of species, valuable time may be lost testing for the right treatment. The photo also showed the snake had five rattlers, which assisted in the determination of dosage.
Bowen spent time in the hospital and had to return several times afterward for additional injections of the antivenin. She recommends that everyone carry a phone with them all times, ideally with camera capacity, when walking or running.
Although poisonous, the dose is not sufficient to kill an adult human. But if not treated in time or treated incorrectly, it can cause permanent damage to the area bitten. Take special precautions and try to avoid walking in areas lacking full visibility, as in deep grass in marshland areas.
