Another Darwin Award nominee...

[Dr Mordrid]

Ohio woman with big exotic pet collection dies of snake bite

CINCINNATI, OHIO (AP)

Zookeepers helped police search for venomous and exotic pets in a house where a woman was fatally bitten by a viper.
Alexandria Hall, 44, was bitten in her home Monday and died at a hospital Saturday, police said.

Neighbors knew she had pets, including rabbits and birds, but were unaware of her collection of at least nine poisonous snakes and more than one dozen other snakes, lizards and alligators until police went to the suburban North College Hill house.

Police believe an urutu pit viper bit the woman Monday, and neighbors said she drove herself to a hospital. She was transferred to University Hospital, where she remained in critical condition until her death Saturday evening.

"We have no idea how she made it to the hospital in the first place," said North College Hill police Sgt. Robert Kidd.

Reptile specialists from Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens searched the house with an ambulance waiting outside in case a venomous snake attacked.

They found more than a half-dozen large lizards running around an upstairs bedroom. The venomous snakes were in secure plastic cases throughout the house, police and zoo officials said. Non-venomous animals were found under boxes and piles of clothes.

Dr. Mordrid

[Kooldino]

Odd.

[Tjalfe]

rule #1 when keeping poisinous snakes : Keep a supply of antivenum on hand !

.. I guess she learned too late

[Ribbit]

For some snakes there is no antivenom, or it's really hard to make and so there isn't much of it.

[Tjalfe]

Originally posted by Ribbit
For some snakes there is no antivenom, or it's really hard to make and so there isn't much of it.

I such case.. what the hell makes you want to keep such as a pet???

[Sasq]

Originally posted by tjalfe
I such case.. what the hell makes you want to keep such as a pet???

but their sooo cuuuute and fluffy

[Tjalfe]

Originally posted by Sasq
but their sooo cuuuute and fluffy

True.. got me on that one

[Greebe]

Originally posted by tjalfe
I such case.. what the hell makes you want to keep such as a pet???

To milk them. About 20 odd years ago I was asked to keep many varieties of poisonous snakes specifically for this purpose. Believe it or not there can be some decient money made, if you know what you are doing and have nerves of steel.

I didn't follow up, but it didn't stop me from scaring the bejezzus out of a few peole catching Copperheads, Eastern Diamondbacks and Water Moccasins (Cottonmouth). Heck my neighbour threatened to kill me if I got close to the property line with a copperhead one day... like it really could bite him all coiled up on my arm.

To this day I catch them or push others out of the way if there is one near homes/apts in an attempt to keep them from killing. To be placed back into the wild where they can do good

[Jon P. Inghram]

My brother was out camping one time when they stumbled upon a small coral snake. Everyone else was like "AAHHHH, IT'S A DEADLY SNAKE!!!!!", but he just picked up a stick that had the right kind of end and pinned the snakes head to the ground, picked it up by the "neck" and carried the poor thing to out of the main area of the camp site saving it from otherwise certain doom.

Reptile specialists from Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens searched the house with an ambulance waiting outside in case a venomous snake attacked.

That sounds like a fun job!

[Dr Mordrid]

I've been on several rattlesnake hunts in Texas; all of which were primarily for the purpose of milking and release, though we did keep a few big ones for dinner

mmmmmm......tastes like chicken

Dr. Mordrid

[Jessterw]

Originally posted by Sasq
but their sooo cuuuute and fluffy

Yeah, especially rattlesnakes. Just want to snuggle one after it bites you on the calf.

Though, like Doc says, they can be tasty... just never really thought chicken while I've been eating on one.

[Brian Ellis]

I've eaten rattlesnake only once, in Arizona, but found it was more chewy than chicken.

There was a report in last week's Cyprus Weekly of a guy in the next village to where I live who has a 3 m long, "as thick as a wine bottle", black whip snake (non-venomous) coming into his garden regularly. He gives it milksops. They are useful because they kill the blunt-nosed viper, which is our only really dangerous venomous snake (we have a couple of other back-fanged venomous species, but they aren't dangerous unless you stick your finger deep in their mouths).

However, despite the BN viper being really toxic and with fangs up to 30 mm long, more people die of bee stings than snake bites!

[Dr Mordrid]

We had some small rattlers that hung around our barn & fields when I was a kid, but they made it a point to stay out of the way of the big dog on the block: a huge Black Rat Snake that lived IN the barn.

Black Rat Snakes are very common here and properly named as we hardly ever saw any mice/rats or any other vermin. Bloack Rat's can get up to 8 feet long and are non-poisonous but agressive; meaning they will strike if grabbed or otherwise disturbed, but usually they prefer to just slither away.

Yes; we have a small species of rattlesnake in Michigan. It's the Eastern Massasauga; AKA sistrurus catenatus catenatus. They run no more than 4 feet in length and are rather thick bodied with brown/black or tan/brown coloration. Like other rattlesnakes the Eastern Massasauga is a pit viper. In Michigan they are a protected species.



Though poisonous they are not very agressive and for a rattler their venom isn't very strong....but it's still pretty nasty stuff if the bite isn't taken care of promptly.

Dr. Mordriod

[TransformX]

I saw a snake once in our garden. Poor creature was probably already on his way to meet his maker since the cats 'found' him first.