Teen bitten by poisonous snake at Reidsville friend's home

[wcreptiles]

Teen bitten by poisonous snake at Reidsville friend's home
Friend has more than 10 venomous snakes
UPDATED 1:28 PM EST Feb 25, 2014

Rockingham Co. Sheriff's Office

REIDSVILLE, N.C. —Charges are likely after an 18-year-old was bitten by a poisonous rattlesnake at his friend's home overnight Monday, Rockingham County deputies said.
Related

Kameron Burgess of Ruffin was bit by a Canebrake Rattlesnake at a home on Auburn Street off Vance Street Extension west of Reidsville. Burgess was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center for treatment.

Burgess and a friend were returning the snake to its enclosure when Burgess was bit in the arm, deputies said. The friend, Kaleb Williamson, has a collection of nearly a dozen poisonous snakes at the home.

Charges are expected to be filed after the investigation concludes, deputies said. State wildlife officials have joined deputies and Rockingham County Animal Control in the investigation.

It's against state law to keep a Canebrake Rattlesnake as a pet without a permit, deputies said. It's also against the county's animal control ordinance to keep wild animals as pets.

Deputies are working with Williamson to move the venomous snakes out of Rockingham County to a facility that will care for them. State wildlife officials will likely seize the Canebrake Rattlesnake, which is native to some parts of North Carolina.

Other snakes in Williamson's collection include an Eyelash Viper, a Gaboon Viper, a Rhino Viper, a Brazilian Lance Head, a Mojave Desert Side Winder, a Puff Adder Viper, a Southern Copperhead, a Neotropical Rattlesnake, a Monocled Cobra and a Costa Rican Jumping Viper.

Read more: http://www.wxii12.com/news/local-news/piedmont/teen-bitten-by-poisonous-snake-at-reidsville-friends-home/24662036#ixzz2uSkW0gFE

Original article here.

 

[radera5]

Tell me more about this poisonous snake...

 

[j_dunlavy]

Never been too worried about being bitten by a poisonous snake.
Being bitten by a venomous snake however, is not on my list of things to experience.

 

[LauraB]

Poisonous, poisonous ... tomato, tomahto.

Bigger picture being a teen-aged, inexperienced keeper was in possession of many venomous snake species, in violation of his state laws, and someone got tagged.

That idiocy now makes it easier for state and federal lawmakers to prosecute and ban the species and lawful keepers.

Duh.

 

[j_dunlavy]

Bigger picture being a teen-aged, inexperienced keeper was in possession of many venomous snake species, in violation of his state laws, and someone got tagged.

That idiocy now makes it easier for state and federal lawmakers to prosecute and ban the species and lawful keepers.

Duh.

Breeders of hots need to be extremely selective of who they sell to if they want to continue keeping venomous animals.

I keep repeating the same thing over and over, but: keep it legal and there will be few problems.
I would love to keep hots but they are illegal in CA. Even one illegal snake would put my entire legal collection at risk of greater scrutiny.

 

[C.Cannon]

Never thought I would say this... but he is lucky it was ONLY a canebrake.

 

[g.spencer]

One more time around the mulberry bush...IT IS NOT illegal to keep "hots" in California. And NO, your "entire collection" would NOT be jeopardized. ENOUGH of the blatantly wrong info Jon. Your misguided info does nothing whatsoever to help anyone. Learn the laws if you are going to preach them. People benefit from the truth, not misguided info.

People in California ARE allowed to keep native "hots". Anyone interested in this further should contact people who actually keep and breed them... Nuff said.

 

[j_dunlavy]

One more time around the mulberry bush...IT IS NOT illegal to keep "hots" in California. And NO, your "entire collection" would NOT be jeopardized. ENOUGH of the blatantly wrong info Jon. Your misguided info does nothing whatsoever to help anyone. Learn the laws if you are going to preach them. People benefit from the truth, not misguided info.

People in California ARE allowed to keep native "hots". Anyone interested in this further should contact people who actually keep and breed them... Nuff said.

I am not preaching any laws and I DO know them.
I said:

Breeders of hots need to be extremely selective of who they sell to if they want to continue keeping venomous animals.

keep it legal and there will be few problems.
I would love to keep hots but they are illegal in CA.
Even one illegal snake would put my entire legal collection at risk of greater scrutiny.

I never said anything about natives.

When there is an illegal snake in the collection and the authorities are involved, often times the entire collection is confiscated. The legal snakes are likely to be returned if there are no other violations found. I would not want to risk that just to keep the illegal (in CA) hots. All it takes is one person to complain that you have snakes, and the authorities move in.

There are also city ordinances restricting the keeping of venomous animals in some cities, but not all. In Other words it may be legal in CA to keep native hots but where one city may allow it, they may be illegal in another.

All I am saying, and have ever been saying is if everything in a person's collection is legal to keep then there is nothing the authorities can do if they are called by a fearful neighbor.

I really do not appreciate your condescending attitude towards me Mr. Spencer. That does not help anyone.

 

[g.spencer]

"I would love to keep hots but they are illegal in CA"

That's your quote. And it's a lie.

 

[j_dunlavy]

"I would love to keep hots but they are illegal in CA"

That's your quote. And it's a lie.

Look, I am fully aware of what is legal and illegal (regarding hots) in CA. I said I would love to keep hots, not native hots. If wanted to keep native hots I would.
I was so serious about obtaining death adders & Bitis sp. at one time that I took an in depth look into obtaining the permit to do so. One reason I did not continue that venture was I just did not have the time to complete all the hours of work at an institution that keeps hots (required as part of the application process). Another reason is that CA does not recognize "hobby breeder" (regardless of experience) as a legitimate reason to allow the average citizen to keep and breed venomous snakes; I would literally have to start a venom milking business or own a reptile zoo in order to obtain the state's permission.
This is my hobby, not career, so I stuck with the animals that did not require permits. I want to be able to sell some of the offspring of my animals so I don't mess with natives.

The article about the teen who was bitten was the topic of conversation; he was keeping some of the other hots I wish I could keep, that is what my statement was in reference to (however poorly worded). Going on to call me a misguided liar is just ridiculous and I do not appreciate it.

 

[g.spencer]

I am only simply calling you out on your own quotes. To try and defend them is fine if you would own up to them. This is not the first time. Your blatant misinformation to the public is ludicrous and I'm going to call you out on it. You never once said anything about non-native hots or native hots in your original post. Simply said "hots are illegal here". If you want to state that California's law restricts the ownership of exotic venomous without a permit then do so. But it's certainly not illegal to own hots. And FYI you can sell the babies too, as long as they're albino or a morph thereof but since you state you know the laws very well I'd only assume you know that... But you clearly don't as you previously stated that the offspring can't be sold. As far as permitting in California goes I'm a little fluent with it as I personally know a few who have done it and have the permit so spare me, please.

Just please do not say "hots are illegal in California" and I won't call you out on it. Or if you do please make an addendum and come forth with the newly revised truthful statement.

Thank you.

 

[j_dunlavy]

revised:
Hots are illegal in CA*
You cannot sell native species**

Regardless of what I say you will come up with some detail that I have forgotten to add and "call me out" on it. You could just add a simple correction if you feel that strongly about it.
The fact remains that you have been sitting there calling me a misinformed liar and continued to be a very condescending person overall.

Have fun with your native hot morphs, and I hope you are responsible enough to keep them out of the hands of the inexperienced.

*certain native species exempt
**certain species/morphs exempt

 

[Hustle]

Doesn't really help .. but I agree w/ you Jon. Greg, if you're having a bad day you should stay away from the community instead of having to have the last, rude, word.

 

[g.spencer]

Actually as you can see I let him have the last word. The bottom line is he wasn't telling the truth, and I made the correction. Let me recap for everyone since you're not getting it... It's legal to own venomous in Ca.

Done and done.

 

[hhmoore]

Gentlemen, kindly take your discussion to PM

 

[j_dunlavy]

Thank you Harald. I have no interest in further engaging in conversation with Mr. Spencer but was thinking the same thing.

The real subject is the article, which brings forth important considerations for the venomous community, and thus, the reptile community as a whole.

The two most important considerations (protected species aside) are:
1. The fact that this kid was keeping venomous snakes illegally draws heat to the venomous community specifically, but also too all snake keepers; the average person does not care whether the snakes are venomous or not if they are fearful. Even if a snake is harmless, if it is illegal or protected, charges may be filed and collections confiscated.

2. The fact that an inexperienced keeper was in possession of several dangerous species (legality aside) raises the question of how he came to be in possession of these animals. He had to get some of them from a hot breeder and that hot breeder obviously did not properly screen his customer, thus making him just as much to blame for the resulting situation. A breeder, especially of hots, has an obligation to make sure the customer buying their snakes has the experience required to properly manage what is being sold. When hots are involved I feel that the seller should also make a reasonable effort to be sure they are not destined for a location where they are not legal to keep. Even if the snake is harmless, if there is a life involved, the seller should make an effort to ensure the animal is not destined to suffer.
All this can be somewhat of a burden but that may be what saves our community from all the bad press we are getting.