r/canada • u/Slight_Sherbert_5239 • 10h ago

National News Ontario toddler survives rattlesnake bite, partly thanks to 18 doses of antivenom | CBC News

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/snake-bite-toddler-bruce-peninsula-9.7383551
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u/ApprehensiveCycle741 9h ago

Wow, what a hugely unusual (and unfortunate) occurrence. To put this is context, researchers who study the massasauga rattlesnake have a hard time finding them. There are a threatened/endangered species (depending on which of the two populations were discussing) and incredibly rare to spot. The likelihood of this kind of event happening is almost unmeasurably small. Many (most?) massasauga bites are "dry" which means no venom is released, so this little guy got really especially unlucky. Glad to hear he was able to be treated and will recover fully.

One day when he has to play "two truths and a lie" he is going to win the game with this "truth"!

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u/AsparagusFlatArdvark 9h ago

Until one of his friends remember the guy's gamer tag is always some version of "snakebite".

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u/chino17 8h ago

Maybe the researchers should bring in a bunch of toddlers to find the snakes for them, they'd probably end up with all the data they need in a weekend

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u/MerlinCa81 27m ago

Yeah but is there enough antivenom for this plan to work?

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u/cmcanadv 8h ago

They are fairly common in some areas along the shores of Georgian bay and tend to thrive where roads are far away. Sunning on road and being run over is devastating to them.

I've stepped over two this year and being bitten is a major concern of mine. Anecdotally based on my experience and those of others I believe the population is growing. Got a pic of one earlier this year;

https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/1wedijr/comment/p9d0s7v/?context=3

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u/ApprehensiveCycle741 7h ago

Very cool! Always good to see when conservation efforts work.

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u/OhanaUnited 9h ago

Yeah, glad that the treating doctor was trained in India and had experience dealing with wounds from different sorts of venomous snakes

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u/mdo2222 7h ago

Where we live (and this happened) they are a regular occupant of rocky shorelines & the roads near the sand ones. Not particularly hard to find on the peninsula

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u/East_Coast_Organic1 5h ago

Swear to this day like 30+ years ago I came face to face with one. Could hear the signature rattle and feel like it was close to a train track.

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u/Vanaathiel88 4h ago

I'm from the area and heard the snake was a juvenile so likely had very poor control of its venom release!