Snake-Loving Kid Hospitalized For Snake Bite
(CBS) AURORA, Colo. A boy from Aurora said he was thankful he survived a
potentialy deadly close encounter with a rattlesnake this week.

Tomas Rivard, 11, was recovering at Presbyterian St Luke's Medical Center,
KCNC-TV correspondent Suzanne McCarroll reports.

Rivard was on summer vacation with his family in an open space with a creek
and room to explore. It was also an ideal spot for snakes.

"I saw a squiggling line under me so I turned back to see what it was and it
was a rattler," Rivard said.

The snake delivered a small, but potentially deadly bite to Rivard's thumb.

"I just wanted to pick it up because I really love snakes," Rivard said.
"Snakes are my favorite animals."

He remembered the effects of the venom hitting him almost immediately.

"I was getting kind of paralyzed," Rivard said.

Doctors treated Rivard with Antivenin to neutralize the toxic effects of the
venom. He was recovering well even though his hand was hurting.

Though his bite hurt, it didn't damper Rivard's enthusiasm for snakes. He
said snakes should be treated with respect and he hoped the snake that bit
him was happy and unharmed.

"They have rights to bite you when you mess with them because you're messing
with them," Rivard said. "They can mess with you."

Rivard knows how to handle snakes but the rattler slipped and he lost his
grip on it, resulting in the snakebite.