BROWNWOOD, Texas -- Police say a man was bitten by a rattlesnake while shopping for shoes in a Wal-Mart store in Texas.

Douglas Hatchett of Brownwood was examining shoes on a rack when a rattlesnake concealed behind a shoebox bit him yesterday. The snake fell to the floor, where Hatchett stomped it to death.

Police, fire and emergency medical crews were called to the scene.

The 31-year-old shopper and the dead snake were hustled to Brownwood Regional Medical Center. There, the snake was confirmed as a rattler, and Hatchett was treated and released.

Wal-Mart officials say the matter's being investigated and they have no comment.

Brownwood is about 120 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

btw "You really can get everything there..huh?"

Reminds me of a time not long ago when a lady went into the bathroom at a local county park. Upon exiting, she informed a park ranger there was a bad water leak in the room, as she could hear it running. When the ranger went in to check it out, he found a 5' coon-tail rattler wrapped around the only commode in the room. Guess he felt the lady and her bloomers were invading his privacy!!

as far as I'm concerned all snakes are poisonous when they are too close to me