Strange Snakebite

A Nova Scotia man claims that he was bitten on the toe, through his boot, by a black 30cm long snake. This occurred on a wooded path near Dartmouth. He told police he then had fever and chills. There are only five species of snakes in Nova Scotia, all harmless. A member of the NS Herp Society suggested it was a melanistic garter snake, which of course would not be able to bite through a boot, and is harmless anyway. The "symptoms" are not really indicative of snakebite. (News source.)