TRAGIC IRONY

Renowned Snake Researcher Dies From Rattlesnake Bite

William Martin died on Aug. 3 after suffering a bite from a timber rattler of which he was the leading expert in the U.S.

A renowned snake researcher died earlier this month after suffering a rattlesnake bite at his West Virginia home. William H. “Marty” Martin, 80, died on Aug. 3 after being bitten by a captive timber rattler at his Harpers Ferry home, his wife told the Associated Press. Martin, who died a day after the bite, was known for making great strides about snakes and was the country’s leading expert on timber rattles. “He was in his 80s, and he was hard to keep up with,” Joe Villari, who manages the Bull Run Mountains Preserve in northern Virginia, told the outlet, noting Martin would climb remote mountains to find snakes. Timber rattlers, which are extremely rare, tend to be docile and avoid human contact—and usually will save their venom for their prey until accidentally stepped on, Villari added.