Snake bites student at Seminole County middle school

Officials take precautions at Markham Woods Middle School

HEATHROW, Fla. – A potentially venomous snake bit a 14-year-old boy's ankle this week at a Seminole County middle school, officials said.

Devin Waxman, 14, said he was running late for art class at Markham Woods Middle School in Heathrow when he was bitten.

"I had a water bottle in my hand and I just threw it in the trashcan and it made a sound and it just latched on to my leg," said Devin. "All of a sudden it bit my leg and I had to like kick it off. It like stayed on there for two or three seconds and I started running."​

The teen ran to the school nurse and was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital. 

It's not known what type of snake bit the boy, but officials said it's possible that it was a venomous snake, perhaps a water moccasin.

Seminole County Public Schools spokesman Michael Lawrence described the boy's wound as a "dry bite," meaning that there was no venom associated with the bite.

"They said that the adult snakes can tell what's food and what's not and they can choose not to use their venom. And so they can bite you and just leave the mark and not expel their venom so that's must of what happened," said Kim Workman, Devin's Mom. 

Doctors at Arnold Palmer Hospital told Devin that older snakes often don't release venom when they realize that the object they are biting isn't food.

A letter was sent to students' parents, informing them of the incident:

"Snakes are a part of Florida’s environment and a common concern for residents of the Central Florida community. Like alligators and other wildlife, snakes should be treated with respect.

"Earlier this week, a student at Markham had an encounter with a venomous snake while in the field at PE. With the current lack of rain, experts have informed us the chances of critters coming out from wooded areas in search of water is high right now and may increase chances of seeing encounters with wildlife on our campus and surrounding property. After the encounter Monday, Markham Woods Middle School has taken additional steps to protect children from potential encounters with venomous snakes at school:

"1. Education—teachers were provided with a presentation and/or handout produced by UF-IFAS about Florida’s venomous snakes and what to do in the event of a snake encounter.

"2. Maintenance actions—steps that have been taken to discourage snakes from entering school property, specifically by having the district come and spray the grounds with 'snake-away' repellent.
We want to encourage parents to speak to their children about snakes and emphasize respect for snakes and the 'leave them alone' philosophy. Students should not attempt to approach snakes at school or at home. We would also like to advise caution to those students who are traveling through the wooded areas to and from school. We would encourage walkers to be aware of their surroundings and speak with an adult immediately if they come across a venomous reptile.

"In closing, we want to ensure you that we are working closely with the district and maintenance to ensure that we are monitoring the campus grounds. We are deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our students. Should you have questions, please contact administration at 407-871-1705."

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About the Authors:

Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009. When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com, Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby.

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