TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- An ecologist who has spent decades
studying snakes was bitten by one of his subjects Tuesday and
found slumped at the bottom of a stairwell, unconscious and
foaming at the mouth.
Howard Reinert, a biology professor at The College of New
Jersey, was in critical condition Tuesday night. Authorities
believe Reinert was working in his rooftop laboratory when he
was bitten on his left hand.
The cries of Reinert's 4-year-old daughter alerted people in the
building that her father was hurt. The girl was ``hysterical'' and
could provide no information to police about what happened,
campus policeman Richard Cook said.
Police evacuated the three-story building for about an hour
while they accounted for all the snakes. The alleged culprit -- a
type of rattlesnake called a Crotalus horridus -- was found in
Reinert's lab. The reptile, about 2 feet long, was in a burlap bag
in a white bucket in a sink.
Reinert's research revolves around native and nonnative species
of rattlesnakes.
Assistant Professor Marcia O'Connell said she did not think
Reinert's infliction would be life-threatening because he was
most likely given an anti-venom right away.