Man bitten by Walmart rattlesnake

[Mugu]

news.com.au

A POSIONOUS rattlesnake hidden among leafy plants in the garden section of a Walmart store in Florida sprang out and bit a man who was shopping there.

The man was taken to hospital after the 30cm pygmy rattlesnake bit him in the right hand while he was looking at the plants at the store in Pembroke Pines, Florida, about 50km north of Miami.

"This is an isolated incident and we're taking precautions to make sure that it doesn't happen again," said Walmart spokeswoman Ashley Hardie.

"To ensure the wellbeing of our customers, we immediately closed the garden centre to enable animal control to do a thorough search of the area. The garden centre was reopened once we were convinced it was safe to do so."

http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,6134871,00.jpg

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23987115-13762,00.html">Complete article

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

1. Greeters

refused to suck out the poison.

WalMart--A Celebration of Mediocrity!

[realisticphish]

8. that's actually not good snake first aid

sucking out the poison does nothing, since in the time it takes to register that someone was bitten, the poison will be in the bloodstream

This was your friendly visit from the unwanted information fairy ;)

[mdmc]

2. I heard radicals were placing snakes in walmart

trouble!

[onethatcares]

3. come on now, this can't happen in Florida

jeezusonaicecreamcarton, this place is gettin weirder every day. Wonder if the guy got the standard 5k rattlesnake bite settlement.

[trof]

5. See the goat f*king thread.

;-)

[DrDan]

16. c'mon - get real about Florida.

this is not unusual here.

These plants are raised in local greenhouses and nurseries. And there are pygmy rattlesnakes in Florida. They get into the plants. They get sent to Walmart.

I live in Florida. This is not the first time I heard of this at a Walmart. Pygmy rattlesnakes are in abundance in the Deland/Deltona are just north of Orlando. And that is very near where many nurseries and greenhouses are as well.

Good Lord - this is nature. This is natural. This is what snakes do. And this is where snakes live. And when cornered, they bite.

If you think this is weird, then you need to get out more.

[yardwork]

24. I was thinking about this and it makes sense.

It could happen in any outdoor garden area. From now on when I'm shopping in a garden area, I'll remember to behave the same way I would in the woods. Just because it's a store doesn't mean that animals aren't around. Snakes and spiders hide in plants.

[litlady]

26. Not a surprise - I've seen snakes and gators both...

even in one of the theme parks and randomly outside in public areas. Saw snakes all the time even in my apartment complex.

[DrDan]

32. exactly

and bananas. - you get spiders in bananas. And these suckers are venomous and dangerous.

http://www.badspiderbites.com/banana-spider/

[QC]

30. They pulled an 8-foot gator out of the retention pond behind a Wal-Mart near here.

There was much shock 'n indignation about this, but let's get real: this is Florida. Alligators live here, especially in water, which is what retention ponds have in them.

Silly!

[DrDan]

35. all these folks expressing indignation - the reason for that is

they use that alligator as a tourist stop for all their friends. They probably haul people to that pond all the time to see the alligator. And then they do what they know they should not do - they feed the alligator. Throw some bread to it to see if they can get it to move, or snap at the bread or something.

These people are idiots. And they are all over Florida - feeding these alligators in the ubiquitous Florida retention ponds. No wonder they do not head back to the big lakes etc - they get a free handout.

[Edweird]

47. Florida is the place many here LOVE to HATE. Don't get your hopes up about people getting "real".

Just 2 days ago a subthread of mine got deleted because I had the audacity, the unmitigated gall, to disagree with a poster that insisted a broken lift station made Florida third world.
Florida bashing apparently allows some to be bigots AND still feel superior and oh-so holier-than-thou.

[rpannier]

4. Soon Wal-mart will be suing the man to get back the judgement he wins from them

because they paid for his medical bills -- which they'll also be suing to recoup as they paid out a judgement against him.

Leaving the man with no money and massive medical bills.

[MiniMe]

28. Sounds like the man was a customer, not an employee

Different circumstances.

[rpannier]

41. We have had republikkan appointed judges for 20 of the last 28 years

I put little faith in the federal courts

[MiniMe]

52. The point being that I doubt that Walmart would sue a customer

for getting bit in their store. So it doesn't matter who he judge is if it never gets to court.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. How could a pygmie reach his hand... they're only 3 feet

tall.

[MiniMe]

27. If its in the plant, and somebody has his hands on or near the plant...

It would seem obvious.

[DrDan]

33. that is quite simple - the guy reaches toward the snake

perhaps he was buying the plant. perhaps he wanted a look at the other side.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

38. Oh I dare say a pygmy rattler will show you the other side iffin you

aren't very careful. I have caught them with a pipe and a rope. They are very quick and not to be toyed with. A five foot diamond back bit my dog on the chest many years ago... I had to carry her to the roadside, take her to the vet. It made quite a mess of her chest.. almost lost her.

[DrDan]

39. I have seen 2 diamond backs on golf courses -

one lying across the cart path as we approached a tee.

The other in South Carolina - at Parris Island, My wife just hit out of the trap. We walked onto the green. And this HUGE diamond back came out of the trap my wife just exited. It must have been lying just on the edge - under the grass. It crawled up to the pin an just stayed there - spread out. It never went into its strike mode. We decided not to putt out.

I have seen many mocassins on golf courses. They tend to blend in a bit better as you get close to the casual water - or near a lake.

I was in a large hazard one afternoon looking for a ball I hit there. I heard the rattles and quickly jumped out. Never saw the snake - but my heart was a-pumpin'.

Plenty of snakes in Florida. Not surprising that some would make their way into the plants that are shipped to WalMart.

Did your dog have any lasting effects of the bite? Either it is quite a large dog - or the snake did not deliver a full dose.

How do catch the pygmy with a pipe and a rope?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

40. Dog was a full grown Doberman.... she had scarring as quite a bit

of meat rotted out from the inside of her chest... when I brought her home naturally the first thing she did was pull out the drain tube. Had to kennel her at the vet after that. The pygmie was caught with the standard pipe and rope setup... we used to find them around the shop in Fl as well as moccasins. Had a gator in the weld shop one morning... imagine that. :)

[Dr.Phool]

50. If a diamondback is laying by the hole, I'll let you have a gimme.

If it's closer than the length of the snake.

[Liberal Veteran]

7. That's what he gets for showing up the day corporate was doing a store tour.

They don't take to well to being touched by us "common folk".

[elehhhhna]

44. LMAO! A DUzy fersure!

[angrycarpenter]

9. Those pygmies are sneaky

The picture is not of a pygmy rattlesnakes. They are smaller and hide well in brush. They rarely have rattles. On the good side they are rarely fatal.

A neighbors dog was bitten by one on the nose, His head swelled to the size of a football. I was sure his was going to die but the next day he was fine.

I do not know what precautions they could take to keep them out, this is Florida and poisonous snakes are always a possibility anywhere.

[Ian David]

19. The precautions are obvious

"Rattle snakes... YumMMmmmmm!

[DrDan]

34. and they are not aggressive

the guy must have reached very closely - and the snake was threatened.

And you are right about poisonous snakes here. I have seen very large Eastern Diamondbacks. I have seen many many moccasins. And these were mostly seen on golf courses.

I have seen one coral snake - just outside my garage. I ran in the check the coloring to make sure it was not a king snake. By the time I did this and confirmed what it was, it was gone.

Amazing there are not more bites.

[elehhhhna]

42. Perhaps he brought it in himself! Like the Wendy's chili-finger lady.

[DrDan]

48. one would have to be pretty loony to get bitten on purpose. . .

[Dr.Phool]

51. Is that a snake in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?

[ms liberty]

36. My German Shepherd was bitten on the nose by a rattlesnake in Florida...

This is when I was about 6 years old; back in the mid-60's. The vet said that dogs have very few blood vessels in their nose, so it's not as dangerous as being bitten somewhere else. She was fine, btw.

I grew up in Florida. It is major rattlesnake country, always has been.

[arcadian]

10. That guy just took the express train to Lawsuit City.

n/t

[Whoa_Nelly]

11. Isolated incident my Great Aunt Fannie!

Google hits:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&as_q=walmart+snakes&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images

One article:
http://sixthcolumn.typepad.com/sixth_column/2007/02/shop_at_walmart.html

Shop at Wal-Mart? Watch Out for Rattlesnakes!

WFTV News

VIERA, Fla. -- A Brevard County man may never use his pinky finger again, all because of a trip to his neighborhood Wal-Mart. John Page says he was attacked in the store's garden section. The snake was caught after the attack at the Wal-Mart on Wickham Road in Viera. Now, the victim is demanding that Wal-Mart acknowledge that poisonous snake bites occur more frequently than they have in the past and take steps to make sure someone shopping for plants doesn't end up in the emergency room.

<snip>
Page fell down, injured his back and went to the emergency room at Wuesthoff Hospital. An employee caught the snake and, after getting a dose of anti-venom, Page took pictures of the reptile with his cell phone.

Page then started doing research and found out he wasn't alone. Since 1987, there have been seven other documented cases of rattlesnake bites in Wal-Mart stores. His lawyer says they won't acknowledge the frequency and continue to say they've never had a problem before.

But Page and his attorney want something done.

[LeftyMom]

12. This is why when I was in Florida, I went to Target.

Ever hear of somebody being bit by a snake at Target?

I rest my case then.

[DemoTex]

13. Deja Vu all over again.

When was it? Five years ago? Walmart or K-Mart? Rattlesnake in the shoe/boot department. Bit guy? Do I remember any of that correctly?

[Liberal Veteran]

14. So. Much. Irony.

[lame54]

15. Sure it wasn't the CEO?

[undeterred]

17. He just needs to have more "faith" in the church of Walmart

and then the rattlesnakes won't bite :evilgrin:

[angrycarpenter]

20. Ha! funny.

Pentecostal holiness jokes always crack me up.

Seriously, I went to one of the services and they did indeed pull out rattlesnakes.

[JBoris]

18. Actually, it was an employee, not a customer. Link to Sun-Sentinel:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-76snakebite,0,4294678.story

[TheCowsCameHome]

21. Stupid thing was probably made in China anyway

[uppityperson]

25. Best comment today!

congratulations and THANK you. :rofl:

[elehhhhna]

43. But...would that make it extra-poisony or not poisony at all?

I'm so confused.

[TheCowsCameHome]

49. The thing probably has lead paint, to boot.

[Mugu]

22. Apparently Wal-Mart really does have everything.

:)

[MiniMe]

29. But do they sell snake bite kits in their sporting goods department?

[Kittycat]

23. I stroll down DU Smellmart Lane reveals...

A pattern, and reason #104,758 not to shop at Wal-Mart

2008 - Scorpion
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3349895

2006 - Snake
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x5435233

2005 - Snake
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x2558679

2003 - Is it a snake or not?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x147046

[anitar1]

31. I cannot imagine living in Florida. Yes, I have been there.

Too many varmints in those types of states for me. I grew up in tornado alley and snake country. Never again.As for Walmart--really crummy store.

[RebelOne]

37. I cannot imagine ever again living in Florida. Yes, I have lived there.

I now live in North Georgia. I grew up in Florida and lived there until 1989 when I moved up here. I would never want to go back to South Florida again.

[Edweird]

46. I grew up in Tennessee, and moved to South Florida about a year after you left.

I love it here and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. I've traveled a lot and no place has the 'scene' this place does.

[JimmyJubes]

45. I wonder if they shot him

with a Walmart gun

[Hugabear]

53. That's kind of harsh, don't you think?

I doubt that the guy meant to get bitten by the snake. :)

[JimmyJubes]

55. I meant

the snake

[Swamp Rat]

54. At least he wasn't swallowed by a 30 foot Green Anaconda.