"qquito" wrote:

My question is: If one swims in such a pond, can one get bitten by
either snakes, or snapping turtles, or even otters? Are there any real
cases of swimmers who got bitten by these animals?

I am in SE PA. A college student here was leading a high school science
class on a ecology trip down a local creek. While he was wading waist
deep in the creek, all of a sudden something made a beeline toward him
"like a torpedo". He fought it off with his fists, but it managed to
bite him in the back side. Another student was bitten trying to help
him. They both had to get rabies shots. They think it was a muskrat,
either rabid or defending its young. The game commission said that they
do get rabid because sometimes a fox will attack them when they are
smaller.

Rabies shots today are different. No shots in the stomach. He got a
series of shots getting shot in both arms, both legs and the buttocks.
They are not pleasant, but less unpleasant. The other young man had to
be held down to get his shots.
--
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18,000 gallon (17'x 47'x 2-4') lily pond garden in Zone 6
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA