A 15-year-old girl taking a walk near her house Monday night was bitten by a rattlesnake.
The girl was wearing sandals and was bitten on her foot in the 6200 block of North Yellow Wood Trail, in a neighborhood near North First Avenue and East Orange Grove Road, said Capt. Adam Goldberg, a Northwest Fire District spokesman.
The girl went home and her parents called 911 at 7:40 p.m.
Paramedics treated the girl before taking her to Banner-University Medical Center Tucson where she was in stable condition, said Goldberg.
"Firefighters believe it was a large snake based on the width of the bite marks," Goldberg said.
Rattlesnake season has begun, and snakes are out searching for food and water, said Goldberg. The season starts when the temperatures hit the high 80s, and can begin as early as April and last until October, he said.
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When walking outdoors, watch your steps and carry a flashlight at dusk or early dawn hours, Goldberg said. He advised to wear proper walking shoes to avoid bites on the lower extremities.
This was the first treatable snake bite for Northwest Fire this season, Goldberg said. He said the district usually responds to six snake bites a season.
Goldberg advises those who spot a snake to keep dogs and children away from it. He said Northwest Fire will respond to snake calls if the snake poses a public hazard, or is in an enclosed yard and cannot escape.
He said snake calls can be reported to 911, and the caller can check whether their fire service provider will respond or not.
