Teen Bitten By Rattlesnake At Stoney Creek

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - A 13-year-old Madison Heights girl is on the mend after two days in an intensive care unit.

Caylee Kapa was enjoying an outing on Tuesday at Stoney Creek when she was bitten by a rattlesnake.

"We were with family friends, and we were coming off one of the lookout points and their grandpa had spotted a snake," Caylee told WWJ Newsradio 950's Sandra McNeil.

"I did the dumbest thing ever, and picked it up," she said.

The snake, which turned out to be a venomous massasauga rattler, bit Caylee on the hand.

"And right when it bit me there was excruciating pain and it started bleeding," Caylee said. "On the bright side, it is the least venomous rattlesnake. But, the bad news is, it was baby — which means babies can't control their venom, so I really don't know how much it put into me."

Caylee, who's being treated at Beaumont Hospital, said her hand is swollen up like a baseball.

It's been a tough recovery.

"Well, I had to get plasma for me cells; vitamin D — to make sure my liver wasn't, like, internally bleeding, which never started," she said. "And I had to get the anti-venom."

"[It was] very scary ... I was freaking out," she added.

Caylee said she's learned the hard way: The next time she sees a snake, she'll leave it alone.

According to the DNR, Michigan is home to around 17 species of snake. Only one of which is venomous, however, and that is the eastern massasauga rattlesnake. The rattler is a rare sight for most state residents, but it can be found in a variety of wetlands and nearby woods throughout the lower peninsula.

Experts say you should keep your distance from the massasauga, and observe it from a distance. Residents are urged never to pick up a rattlesnake, and keep pets away. Of you are bitten, dial 911. [MORE FROM THE DNR]