The U.S. Marine Corps is reminding its troops about the dangers of critters they might encounter while on duty or engaged in nature on their own time,
the Marine Corps Times reported.
The careful reminder comes after an Oklahoma-based second lieutenant lost part of his leg after a rattlesnake bite, and as the warmer weather makes bugs, reptiles and other creatures more active, the Times said.
The Marine was hiking with friends in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge near Fort Sill when he was bitten, leading to an amputation and seven surgeries, NBC News reported.
"I'm good. A little lighter, but I'm good," 2nd Lt. Anthony Kemp, 23,
told NBC of his Feb. 7 encounter. "I'm trying my best to stay positive about the entire thing."
Marines were urged to be more vigilant of dangers, the Times reported.
"Rain means more insects and lizards, and rodents, which eat them, multiply, as do the snakes that eat them," Eric Fortin, pest control coordinator at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California, said in a statement.
Fortin added that Marines on the West Coast should look out for nocturnal scorpions and black widows, who favor cool areas and dark corners to hang out.
Warnings were also issued in the South for the copperhead pit viper after an active duty sergeant was bitten in his back yard in Jacksonville, North Carolina,
according to the Jacksonville Daily News, which outlined his scary account of having an 18-inch snake attached to his foot.
The Marine Corps Times said that, abroad, Marines face unusual animal challenges. In Iraq and Afghanistan, for example, it's rabid cats and dogs. In the Pacific, those stationed at places like Okinawa, Japan, must be wary of three types of jungle snakes native to the region as well as cane toads, which aren't deadly but are painful.
In the Middle East, camel spiders are among the most feared as they grow to one foot in length and can cause painful bites, the Times said.
Folk remedies remain flawed solutions if attacked, the Times added. It urged Marines to seek medical care and to help identify species by taking photos and notes as documentation.
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