Robert Burns is recovering after he had a run-in with a rattlesnake during a Frisbee game at his Marlborough home Sunday.
Burns, 45, and his family were celebrating the Fourth of July at his home when a boy who was playing Frisbee ran near a wooded area to retrieve the disk. That is when the snake came out of a pile of leaves.
Burns rushed to the boy’s rescue. He tried to get the snake onto a stick when it bit his wrist. Somebody else at the party killed the snake with a shovel.
Burns is in Hartford Hospital recovering from the bite to his wrist.
Local
The type of rattlesnake that bit Burns was not published but the only rattlesnake the state Department of Environmental Protection identifies as found in the state is the Timber Rattlesnake, which is endangered.
This type of snake is 36 to 54 inches long with a large, stocky body, v-shaped bands on a brown, black or yellow body and a light yellow belly.
This type of snake is confined to small areas of northwestern and central Connecticut, according to a map on the state’s “Amphibians and Reptiles in Connecticut” pamphlet. Timber rattlesnake bites are rare, according to state officials.
Should you encounter one, back away slowly. Fast or sudden movement can upset the snake.
The other type of venomous snake found in Connecticut is the Northern Copperhead, which is found in central Connecticut and the southern part of the state. There are 12 types of harmless snakes found in the state.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
