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Braintree becoming quite the snakebit town
By adamg on Sat, 09/15/2018 - 1:43pm
Man-biting copperhead snake. Photo by Braintree PD.
Braintree Police report a man coming out of one of the hotels on Wood Road - between the Blue Hills Reservation and the South Shore Plaza - was bitten by a copperhead snake Thursday evening.
Police say the man was rushed to a local hospital for care while Environmental Police took the snake away. Police suggest that people who spot an interesting looking snake back away slowly.
Last month, police found another poisonous snake, a rattler, in the parking lot of a Braintree go-kart place.
Both copperheads and rattlesnakes are native to the Blue Hills Reservation.
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Comments
Anything on fatal shark attack in Wellfleet?
Police friends tweeting about a possible fatal shark attack of a young man on a "boogie board" in the waters off Wellfleet, Cape Cod. Medflight requested then canceled, no chance. CPR was in progress last I heard. Another tweet that the young man "bled out." It would be the first fatal shark attack in MA since 1936. DEVELOPING:::
Fatality
Young man passed away. Unreal.
Very sad
The sharks seem to be coming to party on the Cape in recent years. I won't body board down there anymore. Short boards and sharks don't mix (Aussies call them "shark bickies", or shark cookies) and I already look enough like a seal as it is.
The guy who was attacked earlier survived because the first people who found him were nurses. He's still recovering.
So sad for the man's friends and family.
Globe: "Revere man killed in shark attack at Wellfleet beach"
Full story: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/09/15/swimm...
Recommended reading:
Recommended reading: Landscape with Reptile, by Thomas Palmer. Fun read on the poisonous snakes of the Blue Hills - history, contemporary conflicts, etc.
https://www.amazon.com/Landscape-Reptile-Rattlesnakes-Urban-World/dp/159...
Nasty Snek
Looks like Mr. Cupric Cranium won the lottery and will now have a cushy job at the Blue Hills Trailside Museum, hissing at nosy kids from a climate-controlled, all expenses paid vivarium.
I wonder if his bitee knows what an amazingly rare thing this is? I hope he recovers well.
I feel bad for the trapped ones at the Trailside Museum
They're trapped in tiny little glass containers. I hope they release the danger noodle back into the wild.
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton has the anti-venom
I'm friendly with a Doctor at Milton Hospital, now Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton. They have the anti-venom due to proximity to Blue Hills. Good to know if anyone gets bitten!
Man-biting copperhead snake
Man-biting copperhead snake (and hosta leaves). Photo by Braintree PD.
I often hike in blue hills
I often hike in blue hills with eyes open with hopes to see a rattler. Anyone actually seen one? I guess they mainly live on Braintree side of the mountain?
Close but no cigar
Up by the old Quarries behind the UPS Store, I came across a rattle snake skin that was shed on a rock. Pretty cool.
I've only ever seen a
I've only ever seen a copperhead there, and that was years ago now. That was in the Little Blue section of the reservation, not over by South Shore Plaza, which I gather is where the rattlers usually are. I've never even heard one, much less seen one, but I've always held out hope. Rattlers are unfortunately really cryptic (unfortunately for me, that is - I'm sure it works well for them!). The copperhead I saw happened to be sunning himself on a rock and you couldn't miss him, but I wonder how many sneks I've passed and never noticed...
Possibly...
...because there's this asshole who has made it his mission to kill them.
a$$hole
I would like to know if you are speculating, or do you actually know of somebody who is doing this? Is it you??
Thanks
Anyone have any theories as
Anyone have any theories as to why they're coming down the mountain more than we've seen in the past? Do we just see them more? Is their population increasing? Are they looking for delicious cake at Konditor Meister and getting lost?
They’ll be coming down the
They’ll be coming down the mountain when they come.
Lots of rain, possibly
Heavy rains flush out snakes.
the past
The truth be told...the snakes used to show themselves a lot more than they do now. Especially on Wood Road. Their overall numbers are now significantly lower than say, 50 years ago. I think the local people were relatively nonplussed when they saw a rattler in the area. Let alone a copperhead. Many of the locals are still that way. There are sightings every summer that you never hear about. Many of the business people in that area are used to it. Their presence is no mystery and in most cases, not worthy of a news article. The sense that there are more snakes lately is probably due to social media reporting, as opposed to a statistical increase in frequency.
In this case however, a person was bitten. I believe the person picked up the snake and it bit him. Simple as that. I wish the reporters had the nerve or permission to report that important detail. The idea that a person could get bit by a baby copperhead while simply walking out of their hotel is close to absurd. It was a baby snake, probably no more than a week or 2 old. That would weigh about as much as 2 quarters, or a cheap pen. The neonates are especially likely to be snappy, probably a defensive reflex. I feel bad for the person. Even a little bit of venom can be a problem for awhile. It's possible that he may have some level of permanent damage. Death is unlikely, but it happens sometimes. My advice, don't pick up snakes if you are not 100% certain on ID. And you really should have a good reason to do so, venomous or not, they are not toys. .