Lots of eyebrows raised over reports of an Elora woman suffering minor injuries after being bitten by an eastern massasauga rattlesnake after she tried to pick it up.
That incident occurred on the Bruce Peninsula.
Dan Kraus is a snake expert at the Nature Conservancy of Canada and tells Bayshore Broadcasting news says wild creatures, whether they be a rattlesnake or chipmunk should never be handled as they could very well bite.
He says the Massassauga Rattle is usually quite harmless and often does not inject venom when it bites.
However, Kraus says every snake bite should be considered dangerous and the victim should get to hospital as soon as possible.
He says people in these parts of Ontario should consider themselves lucky to have such a rare reptile living near by.
The snake can be found on the Bruce Peninsula and along the eastern shores of Georgian Bay up into the Parry Sound region.
Kraus says if you are walking in an area where the rattlesnakes are known to be and you hear the rattle, you should stop, find out where the snake is then slowly back away and leave it alone.
