Man bitten by two poisonous snakes

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 28 (UPI) -- A Florida truck driver was bitten by two species of poisonous snakes while trying to retrieve his runaway dog, a Tampa hospital reports.

Spokesman Will Darnell says John Agin, 46, was the 13th snake bite patient treated at University Community Hospital this year, the St. Petersburg (Fla.,) Times reports.

Agin said he was walking his rat terrier, Lil Bit, Tuesday when the dog ran away from him.

While chasing her, he suddenly felt a sharp, stinging pain in his right shin and when he looked down he saw a 10-inch, red-and-yellow snake gnawing on his foot.

Hillsborough County paramedics identified one bite as belonging to a pygmy rattlesnake. Hospital workers said a second bite was probably inflicted by a coral snake.

"It's not impossible for snakes of two different kinds to be in the same area at the same time," said Lt. Lisa Wood of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's anti-venom unit.

Agan said it's not the first time he's been bitten by a snake. He's also had encounters with a water moccasin, a diamondback rattlesnake and some non-venomous species.

"They happened mostly around my yard," he said.