Pregnant Woman Learns Rattlesnake Lesson

It's around that time of year in California when rattlesnake bites spike, and two stories are making headlines:

• Don't suck the venom: In Folsom, a 4-year-old got bit on the foot when he stepped on a baby rattler while walking on a trail. His mom—who is 9 months pregnant—tells KTLA that she found the puncture wounds and started trying to suck the venom out, as she had seen on Bonanza. Bad move, says a state wildlife official, because it could make the venom spread faster. "Absolutely don't do that," he warns. Fortunately, all ended well. The boy is recovering—after the venom spread through his leg—and mom is fine.

• Toddler bit: In Bay Point, a 2-year-old girl was bit by a rattlesnake while playing in her backyard, reports the San Jose Mercury News. The girl was airlifted to a children's hospital on Oakland, and her condition wasn't made available. Authorities caught the snake nearby. The state poison center gets about 300 calls a year about rattlesnake bites, notes the San Francisco Chronicle, but they are particularly dangerous for kids because of their smaller size.

(More rattlesnake stories.)