RATTLER BITES CURIOUS 4-YEAR-OLD BOY.Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer CANYON COUNTRY - A 4-year-old boy was bitten bit·ten v. A past participle of bite. bitten Verb the past participle of bite this weekend by a rattlesnake rattlesnake, poisonous New World snake of the pit viper family, distinguished by a rattle at the end of the tail. The head is triangular, being widened at the base. The rattle is a series of dried, hollow segments of skin, which, when shaken, make a whirring sound. , marking an early beginning to the snake season in Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, . Jacob Barron was bitten on a finger when he picked up a baby rattler, 10 inches to 12 inches long, from the patio outside his grandparents' Sand Canyon home. He was rushed to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , treated with anti-venom and released Monday. It was shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday when the child spotted the snake and picked it up. ``It got him pretty good,'' said Jenny Barron, Jacob's mother. ``It released a good amount of venom in him.'' She said the snake, possibly a Southern Pacific rattler, was coiled coil 1 n. 1. a. A series of connected spirals or concentric rings formed by gathering or winding: a coil of rope; long coils of hair. b. on a concrete pathway between the house and swimming pool. ``It was just out in the open,'' grandmother Macel Barron said. ``He was just out sunning himself.'' Jacob told his mom he touched it once and called out to his 7-year-old sister, Rachel, before he picked it up. The snake bit him on his index finger, leaving marks. His grandmother called 911 while his grandfather killed the snake. Jacob was taken to the hospital by a Los Angeles County Fire Department Not to be confused with Los Angeles Fire Department. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including the City of La helicopter. ``It was a moderate reaction,'' Jenny Barron said. ``We were very lucky.'' Doctors immediately injected in·ject·ed adj. 1. Of or relating to a substance introduced into the body. 2. Of or relating to a blood vessel that is visibly distended with blood. injected 1. introduced by injection. 2. congested. anti-venom, which is in short supply nationwide and had to be ordered from another trauma facility. Jacob's arm swelled from his finger to his elbow. ``If he hadn't gotten the anti-venom, it would have eaten all the tissue in the finger,'' said Jenny Barron. ``In the worst-case scenario worst-case scenario n → Schlimmstfallszenario nt , he could have lost a finger.'' At home, the family talked of keeping the dead snake and framing it. Jacob, curious about snakes, learned a tough lesson about why he has been warned against touching snakes. He previously touched a gopher snake and a dead rattler. After the driest winter on record, dozens of rattlers are active earlier than usual and coming down from the hills in an apparent search for water. Swimming pools and yards with sprinkler systems are attractions, residents and animal experts say. ``I think because it's dry, they're coming down for water,'' said Maxine New, a Sand Canyon resident since 1984. ``It's worse this year than I can remember.'' In Santa Clarita, rainfall has measured 6.4 inches so far this season, compared with an annual average of 20 inches. Creeks have dried out in the hills, forcing animals to seek food and water in low-lying areas. Animal experts anticipate more than the usual number of snakes foraging for food and water as the days grow longer and warmer. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color -- ran in SAC Sac: see Sac and Fox. SAC - 1. An early system on the Datatron 200 series. [Listed in CACM 2(5):16 (May 1959)]. edition only) A baby rattlesnake, 10 to 12 inches long, was killed after biting a 4-year-old boy in Canyon Country. (2 -- color -- ran in SAC edition only) Jacob Baron, 4, returned Monday from an overnight hospital stay after a rattler bit him on an index finger. Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer |
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