My dd just came home from camping with her dad and gf.

[Mom21]

They were at Ft Wilderness. Said a man apparently bent down and got bitten by a snake (cottonmouth rattlesnake---LOL--is there such a thing?). Anyway man had presence of mind to grab the snake and my dd was upset they killed it--silly girl. She said his hand didn't look too good and as they were loading him into the ambulance he said, "I'm going to die at Disney". I hope that was just him having a sense of humor and not feeling as though he was really going to die. If anybody knows about this, I would appreciate some info I can pass on to my dd.

 

[ftwildernessrick]

WOW !!
I guess I need to be more cautious. Do you know what loop they were in?

 

[dancin Disney style]

Yes..there is such a thing as a cottonmouth and they are poisonous. Unfortunately snake bits are not that uncommon on Disney property....it is a swamp remember. I am deathly afraid of snakes and when I'm there I walk looking at the ground and never go anywhere near any of the shrubs. Even at the resorts.

 

[Mom21]

She says they were in Jackrabbit. I have no clue as I don't camp and never will. Also I know there is a cottonmouth and a rattlesnake but is there a cottonmouth rattlesnake?

 

[ftwildernessrick]

She says they were in Jackrabbit. I have no clue as I don't camp and never will. Also I know there is a cottonmouth and a rattlesnake but is there a cottonmouth rattlesnake?

No such combo.
I could see a cottonmouth being there but hopefully not a rattlesnake, even though I guess it could be possible, they can live just about anywhere in the US.

 

[ElementCamper]

Could be either, both snakes are native to Florida. Although I have not seen many snakes at FW, I don't go looking for them either!

 

[Elliott]

Not a snake expert but a quick Wiki search informs that Cottonmouths and Rattle snakes are from the same family and subfamily (pit vipers) but different species, both venomous. Cottonmouths don't rattle, they open their mouth wide and probably hiss. The inside of their mouth is puffy and white, hence the name.

 

[jamerooney]

Several years ago, during a very rainy period, my 4 year old son ran ahead on a path and was doing a very happy dance. He had found an 18 inch long snake that was probably flooded out of the grass. I was not so happy to see what he found when I caught up. There was a FW staff member on a golf cart nearby and he caught it with a long reacher. He said it was a pine snake and while not poisonous, would bite if threatened. Then he let it go about 30 feet away in the grass. Hope this man found such a non poisonous variety and not a cottonmouth.

 

[sdsmom]

I live on the panhandle side of FL and we do have quite a few pygmy rattlesnakes in our yard. They are poisonous, but are more likely to make you feel like crud vs kill you. The sickly, elderly, and young would be more at risk for more serious complications. I have been reassured by our pediatrician and family dr that med facilities have anti-venom on hand for whatever snakes are native to the area, so most snake bites are more inconvenient than deadly as long as medical attention is sought.

But yeah, don't go poking around in the bushes - especially in the spring and summer.

 

[stacktester]

Most people who are bitten by snakes are either trying to harass the snake or unfortunately stepped on one by accident. Both venemous and non venemous snakes are usually scared off easily. Humans are not their pray.

if this person did indeed try to catch the snake then he is dumb. In FL you really have to exercise caution when working in shrubs and what not because they will hide in them. The best thing to do is use a rake to get the debris out instead of sticking your hands in.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

He'll live.

 

[Mom21]

He'll live.

Im sure he will, but not everyone bitten by poisonous snakes does. Luckily for him and his family they likely have the antivenom available.

 

[kazlac4]

Ouch!

 

[tlh0726]

I received this via email in february. I do my snake dance whenever I first see one, if I saw that one I would be changing my pants!

Look What Was Found Just South Of Jacksonville, Florida near the St. Augustine outlet, in a new KB homes subdivision.
15 foot Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake.
Largest ever caught on record.
At least it wasn’t found in a Wal-Mart garden shop.
Makes ya wish ya lived in Florida don’t it?

 

[Mom21]

Makes ya wish ya lived in Florida don’t it?

I do!!

 

[Todd Packer]

He'll live.

Nice Real Nice

 

[Trigal]

The most important thing to remember when you are out in the "wild" is that there are natives that live there that might not be that friendly. Here in Florida there are 6 poisonous snakes that you should be able to recognize by sight and 2 poisonous spiders.

Last summer while doing a swim workout in our pool in civilized Celebration we had a 5 foot long cottonmouth join us for a part of the workout. We had been in the pool for about 25 minutes when he joined us. I swam right into him and once I recognized the type of snake I quickly got out of his way and started yelling for the others to clear the pool.

The snake may or may not have been able to strike while swimming (not his usual hunting ground) but there was no reason to stick around and find out.

It is always better to be safe then sorry and unless you recognize the type of snake - hands off.

 

[KimIce]

They were at Ft Wilderness. Said a man apparently bent down and got bitten by a snake (cottonmouth rattlesnake---LOL--is there such a thing?). Anyway man had presence of mind to grab the snake and my dd was upset they killed it--silly girl. She said his hand didn't look too good and as they were loading him into the ambulance he said, "I'm going to die at Disney". I hope that was just him having a sense of humor and not feeling as though he was really going to die. If anybody knows about this, I would appreciate some info I can pass on to my dd.

She says they were in Jackrabbit. I have no clue as I don't camp and never will. Also I know there is a cottonmouth and a rattlesnake but is there a cottonmouth rattlesnake?

We were just there also, I was wondering why there were sirens. I believe the Jack Rabbit is the 800 loop. It backs right up to one of the dog walks and the canal.
There seemed to be a lot of sirens at the Fort within the past week. We heard them almost daily, and saw the Fire/Rescue riding through several times.
The water level in the canals were way up, and we had a lot of rain on Sunday at the Fort, the snakes were on the move. I was very careful when I walked the dog back there.

 

[SandrA9810]

The pythons they've been catching lately are huge. But for the most part snakes don't really scare me, but I've never been close to one in the wild.

 

[I'mDownWithDisney]

There are plenty of snakes here in the South. It is beneficial to either steer clear of them or learn how to identify them. I don't mind catching non venomous ones by the tail. I pulled this one out of my shop and released it in a more secluded area. That tube is 5' x 2", btw...it was feisty too.