Snake news:

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KMGH (Denver, Colorado) 07 June 10 7-Year-Old Wants To Make Boots From Snake That Bit Him (Marshall Zelinger)
Littleton, Colo. -- Saying it hurt worse than falling off a bike, 7-year-old Michael Harris has plans for the snake that bit his heel.
"I want to kill the snake and make it into snake boots," said Harris.
The boy is recovering at Littleton Adventist Hospital. He was bit by a rattlesnake at the Botanic Gardens at Chatfield on Friday afternoon.
"Jumped out and just snapped my foot," said Harris.
The bite only lasted a moment, but Harris says the venom put him in pain.
"It kind of (felt) like it's still biting you over and over," said Harris.
His mom called for help and Harris was put in an ambulance in about 10 minutes.
"I couldn't keep my eyes open, I kept throwing up," said Harris. "I mostly couldn't breathe a lot."
Harris blames his sandals for putting him in the hospital.
"If I had my tennis shoes, I wouldn't be here right now," said Harris.
He's receiving anti-venom at the hospital. Medicine that's important immediately after a snakebite. Harris got help fairly quickly, but not everyone who gets bit by a snake can get to the hospital as fast.
"We don't want people putting tourniquets on it or cutting incisions into the bite site and sucking blood out, all that kind of complicates the invenomation, really," said Dr. Ted Cetaruk, a medical toxicologist at Littleton Adventist.
Cetaruk warned to let help come to you, if at all possible, after a snakebite. He said only seek your own help if you must, but don't try to heal your own wound.
Harris also has his own advice. He suggested staying at least four feet away from any snake. "If they come any closer to you, run away," said Harris.
He and his family hope on Monday they can leave the hospital and go back home to Milliken.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...75/detail.html


KMGH (Denver, Colorado) 04 June 10 Child Bitten By Rattlesnake At Chatfield Gardens - Signs In Park Warn Guests Of Rattlers (Wayne Harrison)
Jefferson County, Colo.: A 7-year-old boy was bitten by a rattlesnake at Chatfield Gardens, west of Chatfield Reservoir, Friday afternoon.
Michael Harris was walking along one of the paths covered with asphalt when a rattlesnake lunged at him and bit him on the heel, according to family members. Michael was with his mother, grandmother and older brother.
The Milliken boy was transported to the trauma center at Littleton Adventist Hospital for treatment.
He is conscious but in a tremendous amount of pain, hospital officials said.
He will be in the hospital for several days, a hospital doctor said.
The incident happened around 1 p.m. Park officials immediately called 911 and hunted for the snake, described by the grandmother as being four feet long.
"We were just walking down a path and a snake jumped out of nowhere and bit him," said Lance Harris, Michael's younger brother.
"Our director of operations immediately went to the site, where the snake was (reported), took out a lawnmower and mowed all around that area," said Denver Botanic Gardens spokesman Will Jones. "Hopefully, the noise would scare the snake away. But Larry Vickerman, our director down there, said he didn't find anything, he didn't see anything, but we know the snake was there because the little boy was bitten."
"He screamed his head off. He was like hopping on the foot he was bit on," said Lance Harris.
All around Chatfield, there are warning signs telling patrons about the rattlesnake danger.
"Beware: rattlesnake season is at an all-time high," the sign says. It also instructs people on what to do when they are confronted by a rattlesnake.
"I was worried. I was really worried he might die," said the younger Harris.
"This is the first time a guest has ever been bitten at Chatfield," Jones said.
He said a staff member was bitten by a rattlesnake four years ago.
"Some of the things we do to make sure the paths are safe, is to cut the grass really short so there is no refuge for snakes," Jones told 7NEWS. "Every morning our people walk the paths, looking for snakes and other critters that can be a danger to our guests."
Chatfield Gardens is operated by Denver Botanic Gardens. It is described on its website as "a picturesque nature preserve among the grasslands, ponds and cottonwood banks of Deer Creek."
Veterinarians in the Denver metro area have said they've seen an unusual number of pets bitten by snakes recently. The Great Plains Dog Park in Aurora closed temporarily after rattlesnakes bit two dogs.
Dr. Jeff Mullen with the Seven Hills Veterinary Clinic said his office usually sees one or two cases each season, but they handled five cases in May and have had to order additional antivenin, which is used to treat venomous bites or stings.
The city of Aurora said officials are evaluating how to make the Great Plains Dog Park safer, and it's unclear how long the closure will last.
The Division of Wildlife said the risk of getting bitten by a snake this year is no greater than in years past.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...51/detail.html