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Nine-year-old John Parsons was bitten in the leg by a poisonous snake - but his extensive knowledge of reptiles helped save his life.

Parsons, from Kilmichael Glen, Argyll, Scotland was playing in his yard with a friend when he was bitten. He told the BBC, “It was like I had knelt on a thorn or a thistle, but when I looked down I saw a snake.”

The boy spent nearly four days in a local hospital after the incident. He suffered heavy bruising and swelling from the top of his leg to his toes. However, because Parsons was able to tell doctors the snake was a female adder, doctors were able to treat him swiftly with fluids, anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers.

“An adder bite to such a small boy could have been very serious,” said Doreen Graham of the SPCA. “Deaths from adder bites are very rare, but can occurr if the victim suffers a severe allergic reaction. John’s knowledge of reptiles could potentially have saved his life.”

The boy’s interest in snakes and repitles stems from watching the late Steve Irwin on television. Parsons says he wants to work with animals when he grows up, just like his hero. “It wasn’t the snake’s fault, it was out in the sun and I got too close to it and disturbed it. It was just defending itself.”

The boy’s parents are, understandably, proud of his quick thinking. “He recognized it immediately as a female adder, and knew it was venomous and that there had been some fatalities in the past,” explained his father, Andy. “I am very proud of the way he and his friend Rachel dealt with the situation. They didn’t panic and remained calm and John knew exactly what to do.”