Snake bits San Lorenzo girl

By The Star Staff

A small snake bit a 7-year-old girl on her left foot in the Espino neighborhood of San Lorenzo, Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, Waldemar Quiles Secretary said Tuesday.

The incident was reported to the San Lorenzo Municipal Emergency Management Office to the agency’s security personnel, he said.

“Our security personnel received information regarding an incident involving a minor and an exotic animal. According to preliminary investigation data, it appears that on Monday, July 28, a girl was playing in her yard when a reptile measuring approximately 16 inches approached her and bit her,” Quiles stated.

An agent from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, assigned to the municipality, responded to the call and investigated the incident.

“The girl was transported by ambulance to Pavía Hospital in Caguas, where she was treated by Dr. Richard Zayas in the pediatric emergency room. He determined that the bite had resulted in the child experiencing a lack of sensation in the affected area, which is common with this type of bite,” stated the DRNA Secretary.

The Rangers Corps contacted the girl’s mother to collect the snake, which had been placed in a plastic bottle, for the DNER to verify its identity.

Ranger Luis Ramírez from the Rangers Corps Operations Unit in the Humacao region reached out to the mother and successfully collected the snake, which was identified as an Alsophis—a small native snake that lives in gardens and patios throughout the island.

Puerto Rico has a diverse snake population, including native and invasive species. The Puerto Rican boa is the largest native snake and is not venomous. The Puerto Rican racer is the only native snake considered venomous, but its venom is not considered very strong. In recent years, invasive constrictors like boa constrictors, reticulated pythons, and ball pythons have become established on the island, posing a threat to native wildlife.