A 7-year-old boy bit by a rattlesnake Friday on a trail at the Denver Botanic Gardens’ Chatfield location was in fair condition at Littleton Adventist Hospital and is expected to recover.
The snake bit Michael Harris about noon as he walked along a paved path a few hundred yards from the parking lot, said Will Jones, spokesman for the gardens. Signs warn visitors of rattlesnake danger in the area, but this marks the first time a guest was bitten, Jones said.
Four years ago, a snake bit an employee working in a nearby field, he said.
Michael was with his mother, grandmother, older brother and younger sister at the time, said Christine Alexander, spokeswoman for Littleton Adventist. The family is from Milliken, southwest of Greeley.
“The two boys just didn’t see (the snake),” she said. “He was camouflaged on the path.”
While sustaining a “significant bite,” Michael should make a full recovery and be released from the hospital in a few days, Alexander said.
She said the hospital this spring has treated a half-dozen snakebites, a number that, according to a Littleton Adventist toxicologist, didn’t seem out of the ordinary.
Snakebites commonly occur when someone accidentally steps on or otherwise touches a snake, said state Division of Wildlife spokesman Tyler Baskfield.
“Watch where you are putting your hands and feet; that’s the most important thing,” he said.
Encounters between snakes and humans occur more often some years than others, Baskfield said. While there is no hard data on such contacts, he has heard of a lot of them this year.
A cold, wet spring can contribute to an increase in snake-human interactions, since precipitation leads to increased vegetation. Dense plant growth can hide snakes from people and provide cover in areas closer to human activity, Baskfield said. Also, snake-population patterns follow rodent demographics.
Three rattlesnake species inhabit Colorado. The reptiles can be found almost anywhere in the state with the exception of high mountain areas, Baskfield said. Rocky outcroppings, prairie-dog towns, canals and irrigation ditches commonly attract snakes.
“It’s a good policy to carry a walking stick,” Baskfield said. Vibrations from its tapping can alert the snake, and the stick can be used in defense.
Backyards, especially those along foothills, are potential snake habitats.
“Remove any attractants, such as piles of brush or boards, stacks of pavers,” Baskfield said.
Bird feeders should be removed in the summer because the seed attracts rodents, and snakes play a vital role in keeping rodent populations under control, Baskfield said.
“If you see a snake, give it a wide berth,” he said, “and picking it up is a bad idea.”
9News and Post staff writer Kieran Nicholson contributed to this report.
