List of Fatal snake bites in the United States - wikipedia List of Fatal snake bites in the United States This list is incomplete ; you can help by expanding it. This is a list of some people who received a fatal snake bite in the United States by decade in reverse chronological order. There is no evidence it is a comprehensive list. The eastern diamondback rattlesnake ( Crotalus adamanteus ) kills the most people in the US, with the western diamondback rattlesnake ( Crotalus atrox ) ranking second. However, some authorities believe the western diamondback is responsible for the most deaths. Contents 1 Snake species 2 2010s 3 2000s 4 1990s 5 1980s 6 1970s 7 1960s 8 1950s 9 1940s 10 1930s 11 1920s 12 1910s 13 1900s 14 Before 1900 15 See also 16 External links Snake species The United States has about 20 species of venomous snakes, which include 16 species of rattlesnakes, two species of coral snakes, one species of cottonmouth ( or water moccasin ), and four species of copperhead. At least one type of venomous snake is found in every state except Alaska and Hawaii. It has been estimated that 7,000 -- 8,000 people per year receive venomous bites in the United States, and about five of those people die. Most fatal bites are attributed to the eastern and western diamondback rattlesnake. Copperheads account for more cases of venomous snake bite than any other North American species ; however, their venom is the least toxic, so their bite is seldom fatal. Venomous snakes are distributed unevenly throughout the United States -- the vast majority of snake bites occur in warm weather states. States like Florida and Texas have a wide variety and large population of venomous snakes. Bites from venomous snakes are extremely rare in the states near the Canada -- US border. Maine, for example, has only one species ( timber rattlesnake ) ; they are rarely seen, and then only in the southern part of the state, but the species is likely extinct in Maine, with the last sighting in 1901. 2010s Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments Barry Lester, 57, male April 29, 2018 Rattlesnake Osage County, Oklahoma, Lester was driving down a road when he spotted the rattlesnake, he tried to move it to safety but ended up being bit on both hands, Lester collapsed shortly after and was pronounced dead. Daniel Hohs, 31, male October 7, 2017 Rattlesnake Hohs was bitten on the ankle while hiking near Golden, Colorado. Wayne Grooms, 71, male June 12, 2016 Rattlesnake ( likely timber rattlesnake ) Grooms was in the Santee National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina when a rattlesnake bit his lower left leg. He collapsed and died within 15 minutes. He may have had an undisclosed condition which contributed to the severity of his reaction to the bite. Timber rattlesnakes are the most common in this refuge, but eastern diamondback rattlesnakes are adaptable, could potentially be found in this refuge, and are more likely to cause serious bites than timbers, due to their disposition and venomous potential. David Brock, 60, male July 28, 2015 Unknown ( almost certainly timber rattlesnake ) Brock was bitten during a religious service at a Pentecostal Church in Jenson, Kentucky. He refused treatment and died in his brother 's home. Russell E. Davis, 39, male July 19, 2015 Timber rattlesnake Davis was sitting by a fire at his family 's camp in Elk County, Pennsylvania when he was bitten by a rattlesnake. He was taken to a hospital and from there airlifted to a Pittsburgh - area hospital. While in the helicopter, Davis suffered a cardiac arrest and was subsequently pronounced dead upon arrival to the hospital. The cause of death was an anaphylactic reaction from the snake 's venom. No autopsy was performed and the death was ruled accidental. Grant Thompson, 18, male July 14, 2015 Monocled cobra Thompson was found unresponsive in his car in a Lowe 's store parking lot in North Austin, Texas. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. A monocled cobra that he was known to own was missing and was later found dead nearby, having been run over by a car An autopsy was performed and Thompson 's death was ruled a suicide. Gilbert De Leon, 37, male May 23, 2015 Cottonmouth De Leon was bitten on each leg while wading in the James River near Nixa, Missouri. After the bite, he did not seek medical attention and died the next day. David Giles, 59, male May 20, 2015 Unknown, but likely rattlesnake Giles, of Watkinsville, Georgia, was bitten while he was alone in Arnoldsville, Georgia. He normally carried a snakebite kit, but did not have it with him this time. He drove to a nearby house to seek help, and collapsed. A timber rattlesnake would have been the normal suspect, but since he was weakened by Lyme disease it could have been a pygmy, cottonmouth, or copperhead. Timothy Levins, 52, male July 8, 2014 Copperhead While camping at Sam A. Baker State Park in Missouri, Levins walked outside, saw a snake, and brought it to his son 's attention. When he picked it up, the snake bit him. Levins walked back into the cabin, washed his hand at the kitchen sink and sat down on the couch. When he became sick, someone from a neighboring cabin came over to help and performed CPR. Levins was later pronounced dead at an area hospital. Brayden Bullard, 4, male June 20, 2014 Timber rattlesnake Bitten while planting watermelons in his backyard in Bryceville, Florida. He was rushed to the hospital, but died 2 weeks later Jamie Coots, 42, male Feb 15, 2014 Rattlesnake Coots was bitten on the right hand during a service at his Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name church in Middlesboro, Kentucky. After the bite, Coots dropped the snakes, but then picked them back up and continued the ceremony. Later, he was driven to his home. When paramedics arrived, his relatives refused medical treatment for him, saying it was inconsistent with his religion. He died at home. Daniel Frank Mitchell, 53, male Sept. 20, 2013 Rattlesnake ( probably eastern diamondback, but possibly timber ) Salem, Alabama Ernest Burch, 80, male July 2, 2013 Timber rattlesnake Burch found the snake in his garage in Armuchee, Georgia. Not wanting to kill it, he tried moving it out with a broom but lost his balance, fell on top of the snake, and was bitten on his left arm. He was rushed to the hospital and received eight vials of antivenom, but died 30 hours later. Jack Redmond, male, 70 October 2, 2012 Unknown He was likely killed by one of the 24 venomous snakes he kept in his home in Chesterfield, Virginia. Terry Brown, 50, male July 2012 Copperhead Brown died of a heart attack one day after he was bitten by a copperhead snake while camping on the Current River, Missouri. The coroner 's office listed the cause of death as a heart attack, with the snake bite as a contributing factor. Witnesses told investigators that Brown had seen a snake in one of the tents and was trying to remove it when the snake bit him on the right thumb. Mark Randall Wolford, 44, male May 28, 2012 Timber rattlesnake Wolford was bitten on the thigh while handling a timber rattlesnake as part of an outdoor religious service at Panther State Forest in McDowell County, West Virginia. Wolford did not initially seek medical treatment for his injury, but was taken to Bluefield Regional Medical Center when his condition began to deteriorate some eight hours later. Wolford was a pastor and often handled his pet snake during church services. Wolford 's father, Mack Wolford, died in 1983 under similar circumstances. Aleta Stacy, 56, female June 2011 presumably Black Mamba Found dead in her home in Putnam Co., NY. She illegally kept numerous venomous snakes in her home, one of which was a Black Mamba. Some suspect that her death was a suicide. Mark Shaw, 47, male April 5, 2011 Rattlesnake ( probably western diamondback, but possibly timber ) Shaw was bitten by a rattlesnake he was trying to kill in Bastrop County, Texas. Wade Westbrook, 26, male January 29, 2011 Copperhead Westbrook was bitten just above the right elbow while handling a copperhead ; he had been attempting to determine the snake 's sex. According to witnesses, he `` tried to extract the venom with a tool after he was bitten, then he began coughing and vomiting before he collapsed. '' Westbrook was pronounced dead on arrival at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The cause of death was determined to be `` anaphylactic shock as a result of the snake bite. '' Westbrook had been bitten previously by a Copperhead, which may have made him hypersensitive to snake venom. William Price, 67, male October 13, 2010 Rattlesnake, probably a Southern Pacific rattlesnake Price was bitten above the right ankle while wading across a stream near Cuyamaca Reservoir in Cuyamaca, California. He had been taking part in a study of steelhead trout that was funded by a state Department of Fish and Game grant. According to witnesses, Price `` stopped breathing within minutes '' of being bitten. The bite marks on his foot were reportedly an inch and a half across. Price was airlifted to Palomar Medical Center, but later died. Peyton Hood, 1, female Aug. 11, 2010 Western diamondback rattlesnake Accidentally stepped on baby Western Diamondback while climbing down ladder at Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas. The snake struck her main artery. She was rushed to the hospital, but died within a few hours. George Yancy, 35, male May 9, 2010 Rattlesnake ( probably western diamondback, but possibly timber ) Yancy was bitten while pulling up his pants in Smithville, Texas. 2000s Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments Richard Rupert, 68, male October 10, 2009 Timber rattlesnake Rupert was hunting with his grandson in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. Jackie Ledwell, 63, female October, 2007 Mojave rattlesnake Ledwell was bitten while taking a walk in Paulden, Arizona. Linda Long, 48, female November 5, 2006 Rattlesnake Long died after being bitten by a snake during a serpent - handling service at church. Inocencio Hernandez - Hernandez, 29, male June 10, 2006 Eastern coral snake Hernandez - Hernandez became the first person to die in the United States from a fatal coral snake bite since 1967. He and Jesus Moreida, both of Bonita Springs, Florida, were bitten by a coral snake they tried to kill. Former police officer from Madison County, Texas 2006 Copperhead Joe Guidry, 54, male October 2005 Eastern diamondback rattlesnake Guidry, the Putnam County, Florida, fire marshal, went to help a neighbor who had spotted a rattlesnake while mowing grass. He shot at the snake ; it went under a shed, and Guidry was bitten when he reached for it. Marcus Wolf, 35, male September 12, 2005 Rattlesnake Wolf, a German tourist, was bitten while hiking near Willcox, Arizona. Margaret Wilson White, 54, female July 2005 Rattlesnake White was bitten in Hays County, Texas, near Wimberley along Ranch Road 12, about a quarter mile west of County Road 213. Trent Leprette, 31, male June 2004 Copperhead Leprette was bitten on each hand while swimming in Saugahatchee Creek near Loachapoka, Alabama. He was admitted to East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika ; he developed complications and died after several days of treatment. Ross Cooke, 50, male May 2003 Southern Pacific rattlesnake Cooke was killed in Lyle Creek, San Bernardino County, California, having stepped on a snake he mistook for a log. Pat Hughes, 45, male August 2002 Rattlesnake Hughes was bitten on the finger by a small snake in his own garage. He was admitted to Sierra Vista Regional Health Center in Sierra Vista, Arizona, and treated with antivenom, but died of `` complications associated with the bite ''. Derek Lema, 2, male September 16, 2000 Eastern diamondback rattlesnake Lema was bitten in the thigh by a rattlesnake while helping his father Victor Lema in their Lakewood Ranch, Florida, backyard. 1990s Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments Anita Finch, 33, female Reported December 17, 1999 Gaboon viper or hog - nosed sand viper Finch was bitten by either of these snakes she kept as pets in her Van Nuys, California home. John Wayne `` Punkin '' Brown, Jr., 34, male October 3, 1995 Rattlesnake Brown was bitten while handling rattlesnake during a religious service in Macedonia, Alabama. He had reportedly survived 22 previous snake bites. Brown 's wife, Melinda, had been killed by a snake during a religious service three years earlier, in August 1995. The Browns left five children orphaned. Dewey Bruce Hale, 40, male January 15, 1995 Rattlesnake Hale was bitten on the hand while removing a rattlesnake from a box during a religious service in Enigma, Georgia. Melinda Brown, 28, female August 8, 1995 Rattlesnake Brown was bitten while handling a snake during a religious service in Middlesboro, Kentucky on August 6, 1995. She died two day later. Brown 's husband, Dewey `` Punkin '' Brown, was killed by snake during a religious service in 1998. Kale Saylor, 77, male March 8, 1995 Rattlesnake Saylor, a Pentecostal preacher, was bitten while handling a rattlesnake during a religious service in Bell County, Kentucky. Saylor figured prominently in David Kimbrough 's 2002 book, Taking Up Serpents : Snake Handlers of Eastern Kentucky 1980s Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments Adult male 1980s Rattlesnake A single fatal rattlesnake bite was reported in Utah during this decade. Curtis Davison, 22, male August 19, 1989 Eastern diamondback rattlesnake Davison was bitten on the top of his right hand as he transferred a six - foot rattlesnake from one cage to another at Silver Springs Nature Park near Ocala, Florida. Glenn R. Alexander, 29, male March 25, 1987 Rattlesnake Alexander was bitten during the 23rd Annual Brownwood Rattlesnake Roundup in Brownwood, Texas on March 21, 1987 and died four days later. Mack Ray Wolford, 39, male August 28, 1983 Timber rattlesnake Wolford was bitten on the arm by a timber rattlesnake during religious services at the Lord Jesus Temple in Mile Branch, near Iaeger, West Virginia. Wolford did not initially seek medical treatment. An ambulance was summoned eight hours after Wolford had been bitten, but he died during transport to Stevens Clinic in Welch, West Virginia. Wolford 's son, Mark Wolford, died in 2012 under similar circumstances. John Holbrook, 38, male August 1982 Rattlesnake Reverend Holbrook was bitten while handling a rattlesnake during religious services in Oceana, West Virginia. Holbrook reportedly refused medical assistance because his religion did not permit it. 1970s Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments Gregory Lee Hall, 3, male May 31, 1976 Copperhead Bitten on the right hand by a copperhead he picked while playing near his home in Jacksonville, Alabama on May 31, 1976. Curtis Mounts, 61, male May 19, 1974 Rattlesnake Mounts was bitten on the right arm while handling a snake during a religious service in Bens Run, West Virginia on May 16, 1974. He died three days later. Richard Lee Williams, 33, male April 2, 1974 Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Rev. Williams, of Columbus, Ohio, was bitten while handling a snake during a religious service in Switzer, West Virginia on April 4, 1974. Gordon D. Ball, 34, male August 5, 1973 Rattlesnake Ball was presumably bitten by a snake, possibly a massasauga, while traveling alone through Bergen - Byron Swamp on a `` picture - taking expedition ''. A five - day police search recovered Ball 's body from a small clearing `` near Warboys Road, on the swamp 's northern perimeter. '' An autopsy report listed snakebite as the presumptive cause of death. Beulah Bucklen, 59, female September 24, 1972 Rattlesnake Bucklen, of Charleston, West Virginia, was bitten while handling a snake during a religious service in Fraziers Bottom, West Virginia on September 16, 1972. She died eight days later. Susan Mary Gaboury, 34, fermale September 13, 1972 Probably a Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake While driving near St. Augustine, Florida, Gaboury had stopped to relieve herself in the bushes beside the road. Thinking she had been pricked by a spiny plant, possibly the Spanish bayonet, she went to the emergency room, where she was treated for an allergic reaction and released. She returned home and was found dead the next morning. A snake expert determined from the size of the bite that Gaboury had likely been bitten by a diamondback rattler. Bryan L. Bristow, 28, male December 29, 1971 Cottonmouth Bristow had been collecting snakes in a bag when he was bitten on the hand by a cottonmouth moccasin in Garyville, Louisiana, on December 29, 1971. 1960s Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments James Saylor, 24, male February 20, 1967 Rattlesnake Bitten while handling a rattlesnake during a religious service in Covington, Kentucky, on February 19, 1967. Wesley Howard Dickinson, 45, male July 10, 1966 King cobra An experienced herpetologist, Dickinson was bitten while force - feeding an 8 - foot Indian king cobra in Santa Ana, California, on July 10, 1966. Dickinson had previously survived bites from other cobras, rattlesnakes, a water moccasin and a Gila monster. Frederick A. Shannon, 43, male August 31, 1965 Mojave rattlesnake Bitten on a finger of his left hand by Mojave rattlesnake while collecting specimens near Klondyke, Arizona, on August 29, 1965. Shannon was one of the foremost American herpetologists, a physician and an expert on snakebite, having coauthored a manual for the U.S. armed services. He died on August 31, 1965, after being airlifted to a hospital in Los Angeles. Donald Bebis, 1, male August 4, 1965 Rattlesnake 15 - month - old Don Bebis was playing in the yard at his home in Cat Creek, Montana, when he was bitten on both legs on August 4, 1965. Jerry de Bary, 37, male January 27, 1964 African puff adder De Bary, the director of the Salt Lake City Zoo, was bitten on the left forearm by a South African puff adder when he opened the cage to tend to the animal. Jimmy Cornell, 14, male March 15, 1961 Eastern diamondback rattlesnake Bitten on the hand by diamondback rattler while reaching into a gopher hole in Fort Myers, Florida, on March 11, 1961. He died four days later. 1950s Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments David P. Henson, 74, male July 26, 1959 Rattlesnake Rev. Henson, described as an `` elderly minister '' in the Free Holiness Church, was bitten on the hand while handling a rattlesnake during a religious service in Robinwood, Alabama. Relatives report that he had been handling snakes for `` more than 30 years '' and that he had survived several bites during that time. Karl P. Schmidt, 67, male September 26, 1957 Boomslang Schmidt, a renowned herpetologist, died in Chicago while documenting the effects of a venomous bite of a snake he was trying to identify. The snake was later identified as a juvenile African Boomslang. Anna Marie Yost, 46, female August 29, 1955 Rattlesnake Bitten on the arm while handling a rattlesnake during a religious service in Savannah, Tennessee on August 29, 1955. Her brother, Mansel Covington, a well - known snake handler, was bitten on both hands during the same service but survived. The event is recounted in writer Dennis Covington 's 1995 book, Salvation on Sand Mountain George Went Hensley, 74, male July 25, 1955 Unknown Hensley died from a bite sustained while handling snakes during a religious service in Florida. Karen Perry, 1, female June 26, 1953 Rattlesnake 15 - month - old Perry was playing in the backyard of her home in Tujunga, California when she was bitten on the hand by a `` pencil thin '', 18 - inch long rattlesnake. Nathaniel Akins, 25, male August 18, 1951 Rattlesnake Bitten by a `` giant rattlesnake '' while cutting pulpwood alongside the Orlando Highway in Kissimmee, Florida on Augusta 18, 1951. Ruthie Craig, 50, female July 15, 1951 Rattlesnake Bitten on the right forearm while handling a rattlesnake during a religious service in New Hope, Alabama on July 15, 1951. 1940s Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments Ben Padgett, 26, male September 2, 1949 Rattlesnake Bitten below the left knee while cutting trees near Maxville, Florida on September 2, 1949 Grace Olive Wiley, 64, female July 20, 1948 Indian Cobra Wiley, an experienced herpetologist, who was known as the `` Queen of the Cobras '' for her work in the movie industry, was posing for a photograph with a juvenile cobra when she was bitten after a flashbulb startled the snake. Cypress, California Mrs. Floyd Butterbaugh, 22, Female July 18, 1947 Timber rattlesnake Mrs. Butterbaugh was bitten by a timber rattler at her home on Piney Creek, 12 miles east of Chillicothe, Ohio near the Tar Hollow State Forest. She was picking beans in her garden when she was bitten. She died the next day. This is the last known fatality from a wild snake bite in the state of Ohio. Jerry Frier, 7, male June 22, 1943 Rattlesnake Frier died from rattlesnake bite in Lafayette County, Florida. Dorothy Louise Key, 8, female May 1, 1942 Rattlesnake Bitten while walking in woods near her home in Bradenton, Florida Mahel Coffey, 10, female July 21, 1941 Rattlesnake Bitten by a rattlesnake while picking berries near her home in Lenoir, North Carolina John Charles Goss, 2, male June 23, 1941 Rattlesnake Bitten beneath the right knee while at a picnic near the city reservoir alongside the Willow Creek Highway in Bradford, Pennsylvania Reba Ann Cooper, 2, female April 28, 1940 Rattlesnake The daughter of a rancher, Cooper was bitten by a rattlesnake on a ranch near Rocksprings, Texas. 1930s Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments Paul D. Emerson, 50, male September 17, 1937 unknown Dr. Emerson, a nationally known soil expert, was found dead on a trail eight miles west of Rapid City, South Dakota. Bitten on the left leg by a snake, Dr. Emerson had applied a tourniquet below the knee and made an incision over the wound with razor blade before he died. Marshal Ray Weddle, 5, male July 24, 1937 Rattlesnake Bitten while playing near his home in Riggins, Idaho. B.T. Walley, 34, male July 21, 1937 Rattlesnake Bitten while walking near Laurel, Mississippi. Alfred Weaver, 35, male May 4, 1936 Rattlesnake Weaver, a 35 - year - old itinerant was bitten on the hand by a rattlesnake during a `` faith '' demonstration at a revival service in Bartow, Florida on May 3, 1936. He died the next day after refusing medical treatment. Jess Correll, 28, male July 24, 1931 Copperhead A farmer, Correll was bitten on the hand, while in the hay loft of his barn near Washington, Indiana. 1920s Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments Wilmer Hassinger, 15, male June 15, 1929 Rattlesnake Bitten while fishing along Rattling Creek near Lykens, Pennsylvania. Maggie Collins, 33, female May 29, 1929 Rattlesnake Collins died from a rattlesnake bite while picking blackberries in Grady County, Georgia. Rebecca Nimmons, 19, female July 1928 Rattlesnake Nimmons was killed by a rattlesnake in Pickens County, South Carolina. Jane Lancaster, 66, female August 21, 1921 Probably a timber rattlesnake The bite occurred in Franklin Township at Snake Hollow, near the present - day Scioto Trails State Forest, southeast of Chillicothe, Ohio, in Ross County. An article in the Chillicothe Gazette explained that it could not be confirmed whether the bite Lancaster suffered was from a copperhead or rattlesnake. Given the severity of her wounds, it was likely a timber rattlesnake. 1910s Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments Gustav A. Link, 51, male August 15, 1917 Timber rattlesnake Link was showing his pet timber rattlesnake to a group of University of Pittsburgh students in the taxidermy lab of Carnegie Museum. While putting the snake back into its cage, Link was bitten on his right index finger. Link was admitted to Mercy Hospital and treated. Herpetologist Raymond Ditmars sent antivenom from New York by train in the custody of a Pullman porter. Antivenom was administered 12 hours after the bite, but Link died 15 hours after the bite. Helen Moomey, 4, female September 23, 1915 Rattlesnake Moomey died from a rattlesnake bite she received while playing with friends near her house in Billings County, North Dakota. The prairie rattlesnake is the only venomous snake in North Dakota. Two Wilson children June 1913 Prairie rattlesnake The children were bitten and died while their family was sleeping on the North Dakota prairie. Frank Stankiewicz, 57, male July 9, 1910 Rattlesnake Stankiewicz, a Lithuanian immigrant, trapped a rattlesnake while fishing near Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. When he attempted to pull off the rattles, the snake escaped and bit him twice. 1900s Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments Mary Bull, 12, female July 9, 1907 Rattlesnake Bull died from a rattlesnake bite in Shenandoah County, Virginia. The timber rattlesnake is the only species of rattlesnake in this region. Frank Benham, 2, male September 25, 1903 Prairie rattlesnake Benham died from a rattlesnake bite in Adams County, Colorado, 17 miles north of Deer Trail. Edward Comstock, 39, male September 25, 1900 Rattlesnake Comstock died as result of a bite from a rattlesnake during a snake handling exhibition on Water Street in Chillicothe, Ohio. A newspaper article read : `` Edward Comstock, manager of a snake show, was bitten by a rattlesnake at Chilll - cothe, O., last week and died, in terrible agony. His hand and arm swelled to an enormous size. Every known antidote was tried without avail. He was changing the snakes and put his hand into a box, when the rattler bit him. He had handled snakes for years. '' Before 1900 Name, age, gender Date Species Location, comments Belinda Rourke, 6, female June 1891 Rattlesnake Rourke died from a bite while playing near a pile of rocks near the family 's ranch in the Purgatory River Valley of southern Colorado. The child survived for a day after the bite. Rebecca O. Andrews, approximately 28, female c. 1890 Rattlesnake Andrews died from a rattlesnake bite in Kansas. James Ananias Brannon, 2, male July 1882 Rattlesnake Brannon died from a rattlesnake bite received while lying on a blanket in Texas. George Sides, 6, male May 30, 1873 Rattlesnake Sides died in Texas of a rattlesnake bite. Frederick Louis Niemann, male 1873 Rattlesnake Niemann died in Saline County, Kansas, from a rattlesnake bite. William A. Perrin, male 1859 Rattlesnake Perrin was killed by a rattlesnake at Stribling Springs in Augusta County, Virginia. The timber rattlesnake is the only rattlesnake in the state. Maggie Lee, female October 24, 1854 Rattlesnake She was the first child to die of a snakebite in Parker County, Texas. H.M. Pettigrew, 31, male August 15, 1841 Rattlesnake Pettigrew died from a rattlesnake bite while clearing land in Fannin County, Texas. Richardson, infant son of Wm. & Ella 1796 Rattlesnake Richardson Cemetery ( Town of Springport, NY ) Unknown person 1791 Timber rattlesnake This was the last fatal snakebite in the state of Massachusetts. Child, 5 or 6 August 28, 1790 Rattlesnake A child was bitten by a rattlesnake, and died the next day, in Hardwick, Massachusetts. See also Snakebite Venomous snakes Snake handling Epidemiology of snakebites Species : List of fatal bear attacks in North America List of fatal cougar attacks in North America List of fatal shark attacks in the United States List of fatal alligator attacks in the United States List of wolf attacks in North America Fatal dog attacks in the United States Footnotes Jump up ^ Norris R. 2004. Venom Poisoning in North American Reptiles. In Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. ISBN 0 - 8014 - 4141 - 2. Jump up ^ Conant, Roger and Joseph T. Collins ( 1998 ). Reptiles and Amphibians : Eastern / Central North America. New York, NY : Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 412. ISBN 0 - 395 - 90452 - 8. Jump up ^ Foster, Steven, and Roger Caras ( 1994 ). A Field Guide to Venomous Animals and Poisonous Plants : North America North of Mexico. New York : Houghton Mifflin Company. pp. plate 2. Jump up ^ George, David W. `` Venomous Snakes of the United States by State ''. Retrieved 22 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` Venomous Snakes ''. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 23 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` Copperhead snake page ''. Snakesandfrogs.com. Archived from the original on 2000 - 09 - 16. Retrieved 23 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` Timber Rattlesnakes ''. Jump up ^ Alanis, Kaitlyn ( May 2, 2018 ). `` ' You do n't mess with snakes, ' wife says after rattler kills husband on birthday trip ''. The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 9 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Hiker from Golden dies after being bitten by rattlesnake ''. Denver Post. Retrieved 9 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` SC conservationist dies after rattlesnake bite at nature preserve ''. Retrieved 2016 - 07 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Autopsy confirms snake bite killed SC conservationist, coroner says ''. June 14, 2016. Jump up ^ Foster, Steven, and Roger Caras ( 1994 ). A Field Guide to Venomous Animals and Poisonous Plants : North America North of Mexico. New York : Houghton Mifflin Company. pp. 14, 18. ISBN 0 - 395 - 51594 - 7. Jump up ^ `` Kentucky man dies from snake bite at church service ''. Jump up ^ `` Man Killed by Elk County Rattlesnake ''. Jump up ^ `` Temple man killed by Cobra in Austin ''. Statesman Online. 15 July 2015. Archived from the original on 18 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Autopsy : Teen used cobra to commit suicide ''. Jump up ^ `` Missouri woman wakes to find boyfriend dead after he was bitten by water snake ''. Mail Online. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite claims life of Watkinsville man ''. Jump up ^ Dean, Dana ; Aja J., Williams ; Zigman, Leisa ( July 13, 2014 ). `` Snakebite kills Missouri man ''. USAToday. Retrieved 20 August 2014. Jump up ^ Winslow, Hailey ( June 13, 2014 ). `` 4 - year - old boy bitten by rattlesnake ''. News4Jax. Jump up ^ `` Two weeks after rattlesnake bite, Nassau County boy, 4, dies ''. jacksonville.com. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Cherokee County man dies from rattlesnake bite, a rare occurrence in Alabama ''. AL.com. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Armuchee man dies from rattlesnake bite ''. Jump up ^ `` Family remembers man bitten by timber rattlesnake ''. Jump up ^ `` Venomous snakes removed from home, man 's death under investigation ''. Jump up ^ Tim O'Neil ( July 4, 2012 ). `` Camper dies after Copperhead bite along Current River ''. stltoday.com. Retrieved 31 May 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Snake - handling W.Va. preacher dies after suffering bite during outdoor service ''. The Washington Post. The Associated Press. May 31, 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` Snake - handling pastor dies after bite ''. The Boston Globe. June 1, 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2014 -- via HighBeam Research. ^ Jump up to : `` Web Extra : 1983 Daily Telegraph story detailing the death of Wolford 's father, also from a snake bite ''. Bluefield Daily Telegraph. August 30, 1983. Retrieved 12 June 2012. Jump up ^ Jaslow, Ryan ( June 20, 2011 ). `` Did bite from black mamba kill New York woman ? ''. CBS News. Jump up ^ `` Did she commit ' suicide by snake ' ? Woman killed by African black mamba she kept in New York home along with 75 others ''. Daily Mail. 20 June 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` Paige man dies from rattlesnake bite ''. Jump up ^ Ghianni, Tim ( January 31, 2011 ). `` Tennessee man dies from poisonous copperhead snake bite ''. Reuters. Retrieved 12 June 2012. ^ Jump up to : Nicholson, Ken ( January 31, 2011 ). `` Updated : Official cause of death determined in snake bite case ''. Chattanooga, Tennessee : WRCB. Retrieved 12 June 2012. ^ Jump up to : Repard, Pauline ( October 15, 2010 ). `` La Jolla man dies from rattlesnake bite ''. The San Diego Union - Tribune. Retrieved 12 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` Snake Bite Season ''. www.newschannel6now.com. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 15. Jump up ^ Miller, Bill ( August 11, 2010 ). `` Girl dies after snake bite near Possum Kingdom Lake ''. Jump up ^ Christian Boone ( Oct 13, 2009 ). `` Boy could n't save snakebit grandpa ''. The Atlanta Journal - Constitution. ajc.com. Retrieved 23 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Deaths Still Rare but are Mounting ''. tucsoncitizen.com. Retrieved 23 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` Woman Dies After Snakebite In Church ''. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 23. Jump up ^ `` Southeastern Outdoors -- Fatal Coral Snake Bites ''. Retrieved 23 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` The copperhead snake ''. Retrieved 23 September 2013. was probably allergic to the venom Jump up ^ Lise Fisher ( October 11, 2005 ). `` Snake bite is deadly for Putnam fire official ''. The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved 31 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatality Prompts Warning ''. Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona : Newspapers.com. 2005 - 09 - 17. p. 1. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` July 29, 2005 - Search for missing woman in Hays County ''. Jump up ^ Anita Miller ( Jul 27, 2005 ). `` Wimberley Woman Missing ''. SAN MARCOS DAILY RECORD. Retrieved 23 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` Missing woman found dead, bitten by snake ''. myplainview.com. August 1, 2005. Jump up ^ `` Fatal Snake Bite ''. WTVY.com. June 23, 2004. Retrieved 23 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` NORCO : Snakebite called unusual, George Watson, Paige Watson, Press Enterprise, 23 May 2003 Jump up ^ `` Snake bite kills Sierra Vista man ''. Tucson Citizen. August 20, 2002. Retrieved 23 September 2013. Jump up ^ Zucco, Tom ( November 13, 2004 ). `` Trial calls Animal Planet host ''. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 20 August 2014. Jump up ^ `` Zoo volunteer killed by deadly snake bite ''. Sacramento Bee. December 17, 1999. Retrieved 23 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` Snake Kills Worshiper Three Years After One Killed His Wife ''. Courier Journal. Louisville, Kentucky : Newspapers.com. 1998 - 10 - 06. p. 7. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Man Takes Bible Verse Literally, Gets Fatal Snake Bite in Church ''. Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio : Newspapers.com. 1995 - 01 - 19. p. 11. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Worshipers Faith Led to Fatal Snake Bite ''. The Tennessean. 2014 - 02 - 17. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ `` State Police Probe Death of Snake - bit Preacher ''. The Courier Journal. Louisville, Kentucky : Newspapers.com. 1995 - 03 - 10. p. 4. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ Vicki Vaughan ( August 28, 1989 ). `` 22 - year - old snake handler has died in the first... '' The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 13 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal for Irving Man ''. The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana : Newspapers.com. 1987 - 03 - 26. p. 7. Retrieved 2014 - 08 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Snake Bite Proves Fatal ''. Daily Sitka Sentinel. Sitka, Alaska. 31 Aug 1983. p. 7 -- via Newspapers.com. ^ Jump up to : Mathews, Garret ( April 3, 1983 ). `` ' Praise - the - Lord - and - pass - the - snake ' service is a trip, if you can handle it ''. The Chicago Tribune. p. J3. Retrieved 23 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal for Alabama Tot ''. Pensacola News. Pensacola, Florida : Newspapers.com. 1976 - 07 - 03. p. 2. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Worship Service Snakebite Fatal ''. Springfield News - Leader. Springfield, Missouri : Newspapers.com. 1976 - 05 - 21. p. 6. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal ''. The Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, Ohio : Newspapers.com. 1974 - 04 - 05. p. 14. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. ^ Jump up to : Graczyk, Mark ( 5 February 2012 ). `` Hidden History : Snake bite kills man in Bergen swamp, 1973 ''. The Daily News Online. Batavia, New York. Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012. Jump up ^ `` Coroner Says Snake Bite Fatal ''. The Times Record. Troy, New York. 13 Aug 1973. p. 7 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal ''. Rushville Republican. Rushville, Indiana : Newspapers.com. 1972 - 09 - 25. p. 8. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal to Teacher After Wrong Diagnosis ''. The Tampa Timeas. Tampa, Florida : Newspapers.com. 1972 - 09 - 14. p. 12. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal to Ohio Man ''. Palladium - Item. Richmond, Indiana : Newspapers.com. 1971 - 12 - 31. p. 15. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal ''. The Messenger - Inquirer. Owensboro, Kentucky : Newspapers.com. 1967 - 02 - 21. p. 14. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal ''. The Akron Beacon - Journal. Akron, Ohio : Newspapers.com. 1966 - 07 - 11. p. 1. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Rattlesnake Strike Fatal to State Snakebite Expert ''. Tucson Daily Citizen. Tucson, Arizona : Newspapers.com. 1965 - 08 - 31. p. 1. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Snakebites Fatal to Infant ''. The Daily Inter Lake. Kalispel, Montana : Newspapers.com. 1965 - 08 - 05. p. 1. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal to Zoo Director ''. The Courier - Journal. Louisville, Kentucky : Newspapers.com. 1964 - 01 - 28. p. 1. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal ''. The Tribune. Great Bend, Kansas : Newspapers.com. 1961 - 03 - 16. p. 9. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal to Southern Cleric ''. Wilkes - Barre Times Leader. Wilkes - Barre, Pennsylvania : Newspapers.com. 1959 - 07 - 27. p. 16. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ `` He documented his own death by snakebite instead of going to the hospital ''. Retrieved 22 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` Religious Snakebite Fatal to Woman ''. Rushville Republican. Rushville, Indiana : Newspapers.com. 1955 - 08 - 31. p. 8. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Rattler 's Bite Fatal to Girl 15 Months Old ''. The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California : Newspapers.com. 1953 - 06 - 26. p. 29. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal to Kissimmee Negro ''. Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida : Newspapers.com. 1951 - 08 - 19. p. 10. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal at Faith Sect Rites ''. Elmire Advertiser. Elmira, New York : Newspapers.com. 1951 - 07 - 17. p. 1. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal ''. Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. 1949 - 09 - 03. p. 4. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` Grace Wiley Killed by Cobra ''. Long Beach Independent. Long Beach, California. 1948 - 07 - 21. p. 1. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` Dies Of Snake Bite ''. The Evening Review. East Liverpool, Ohio. 1947 - 07 - 19. p. 6. Retrieved 2014 - 08 - 20 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` Burval Genealogy - Person Page ''. Retrieved 22 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` Dies Of Snake Bite ''. Pensacola News Journal. Pensacola, Florida. 1942 - 05 - 02. p. 4. Retrieved 2014 - 08 - 20 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal ''. The High Point Enterprise. High Point, North Carolina. 1941 - 07 - 21. p. 7. Retrieved 2014 - 08 - 20 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal to Bradford Boy ''. The Record - Argus. Greenville, Pennsylvania. 1941 - 06 - 24. p. 1. Retrieved 2014 - 08 - 20 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` Snake Bite Fatal to Texas Child, 2 ''. Austin American - Statesman. Austin, Texas. 1940 - 04 - 29. p. 7. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 09 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal for Soil Expert ''. The Columbus Telegram. Columbus, Nebraska : Newspapers.com. 1937 - 09 - 21. p. 1. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Rattle Snake Bite Fatal to Boy, 5 ''. The Daily Herald. Provo, Utah : Newspapers.com. 1937 - 07 - 28. p. 1. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Rattle Snake Bite Fatal to Laurel Man ''. The Delta Democrat Times. Greenville, Mississippi : Newspapers.com. 1937 - 07 - 22. p. 1. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Faith Snakebite Fatal ''. The Sentinel. Carlisle, Pennsylvania : Newspapers.com. 1936 - 05 - 05. p. 5. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Rattle Snake Bite Fatal to Laurel Man ''. Lafayette Journal and Courier. Lafayette, Indiana : Newspapers.com. 1931 - 07 - 24. p. 1. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Snakebite Fatal to Wilmer Hassinger ''. The Standard. Lykens, Pennsylvania : Newspapers.com. 1929 - 06 - 21. p. 1. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 08. Jump up ^ `` First Death from Snake Bite in Ross County Since Records Of Mortality Has Been Kept in This County ''. Retrieved 23 September 2013. Jump up ^ Daggette, Alvin S., M.D. ( 1917 ). `` Report of a Case of Snake Bite, with Treatment ''. Pennsylvania Med. J. 20 : 838 - 840. Jump up ^ Holland WJ ( 1917 ). `` Obituary of Gustav A. Link, Senior ''. Annals of Carnegie Museum 11 : 5 - 7. Jump up ^ `` Little Girl is Mortally Bitten by a Rattlesnake ''. The Marmarth Mail. VIII ( 42 ). September 24, 1915. Retrieved 20 August 2014 -- via USGENWEB ARCHIVES. Jump up ^ `` Rattle Snake Bite Fatal ''. The Pittston Gazette. Pittston, Pennsylvania. 1910 - 07 - 11. p. 1. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 09 -- via Newspapers.com. Jump up ^ `` Seeking Relatives ''. The Billboard. 12, 13. Mocavo.com. Jul -- Dec 1900. p. 97. Retrieved 2014 - 08 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Parker County, Texas Firsts ''. USGenWeb Project. Archived from the original on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Fannin Co. TX Pettigrew Cemetery N. of Windom ''. USGENWEB ARCHIVES. Retrieved 20 August 2014. Jump up ^ `` Richardson Cemetery ''. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Timber Rattlesnake : Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` We Hear from Hardwick ''. Gazette of the United - States. New York, New York. September 25, 1790. General references Southeastern Outdoors -- Fatal Rattlesnake Bites External links Venomous Snakebites in the United States : Management Review and Update from American Family Physician website Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_fatal_snake_bites_in_the_United_States&oldid=852469713 '' Categories : Deaths due to animal attacks in the United States Lists of people by cause of death Deaths due to snake bites Death in the United States - related lists Death - related lists Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from March 2013 All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from August 2014 Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from August 2014 CS1 : Julian -- Gregorian uncertainty Incomplete lists from August 2008 Use dmy dates from September 2013 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 29 July 2018, at 05 : 44 ( UTC ). 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Question: what's the deadliest snake in the united states
Answer: eastern and western diamondback rattlesnake