# 18-foot snake attacks mom, tot



## redsaw (Jan 22, 2009)

http://www.ktnv.com/global/story.asp?s=9713225
Found this story in the news.


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## arachnocat (Jan 22, 2009)

Is it just me, or is that article leaving out some stuff? All it says was the snake got loose, then somehow it was constricting the little kid? Where are the details? Glad the kid is ok, too bad about the snake though


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## Mushroom Spore (Jan 22, 2009)

arachnocat said:


> Is it just me, or is that article leaving out some stuff? All it says was the snake got loose, then somehow it was constricting the little kid? Where are the details?


It's not like it's a wild leap of logic. A little kid sees an animal and wants to go over and touch and pester it, and that animal happens to be very NOT domesticated...what do you think will happen?  Snakes are escape artists, it was probably out and had wandered into the kid's path before anyone knew. I don't know what other details they could include, unless you want a diagram of their house or something. 

It's a tragedy what happened to the snake, but in this case I don't fault anyone for what happened. What gets me mad is the cases where a wild animal is put down after the fact because it...acted like a wild animal. This time around though, it was immediately attack the animal or the kid dies. Sucks, but it had to happen.


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## Boanerges (Jan 22, 2009)

You would think if you had a snake that big in your house and you have a three year old you would do everything possible to make sure that snake could never escape :wall:  And if you couldn't make sure you would not baby sit the snake for someone else. It would have been nice to know what they were keeping the snake in. Or how experienced the people babysitting the snake were with large pythons.


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## v4climber (Jan 22, 2009)

Poor snake...


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## xBurntBytheSunx (Jan 23, 2009)

it would be hard for me to justify keeping anything bigger than a ball python with an infant or toddler in the home


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## Widowman10 (Jan 23, 2009)

Mushroom Spore said:


> What gets me mad is the cases where a wild animal is put down after the fact because it...acted like a wild animal.


that always chaps my hide. "animal acts naturally, human acts stupidly, animal is killed." irks me to no end...



Boanerges said:


> You would think if you had a snake that big in your house and you have a three year old you would do everything possible to make sure that snake could never escape :wall:


uh, yeah. i would take utmost caution if there were little kids in the house. not saying this person didn't (but...) or anything, but you need to be responsible to the max.


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## Moultmaster (Jan 23, 2009)

*Not sure if anyone read the story or not*

It says that the mom and her toddler were watching the snake for a friend while they were away.  I don't think the owners had any small children.  Why is nobody questioning why a lady snakesitting an 18 foot retic for a friend brought her kid with her?  A kid that is the same size as a suitable prey item for the aforementioned snake.  Too bad the snake had to be put down because of a parent who's an idiot.  Hypothetically speaking, if a friend of mine asked me to go feed his hot scorp collection while he was away I wouldn't bring my kid with me.  Yes I know pythons have no venom I was using the scorp comparison because they have the same potential to cause death as the snake did.  I hate reading these kinds of stories because they create a stigma around exotic pets.  And as much as I hate regulations, if you're going to use an 18 foot retic as a tourist attraction you should have to take some sort of competency test.


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## loxoscelesfear (Jan 23, 2009)

this story would have been more exciting if the snake had eaten the kid and mom


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## DrJ (Jan 23, 2009)

I'd say the owners of the snake should sue...the lady killed their snake!  One, why wasn't she responsible enough to leave the enclosure "closed"; and two, where was she to leave her child alone with the snake?  She definitely does not sound like any type of responsible person to me.  I doubt she even did any care or maintenance...Most likely she just went to look at the snakes and let the retic out to play with her kid while she went to watch some tv.  That would probably be the most likely scenario.

If you look at the pictures, there is no way that retic is 18 feet long...at max it would only be 10-12 feet.


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## redsaw (Jan 23, 2009)

Moultmaster said:


> It says that the mom and her toddler were watching the snake for a friend while they were away.  I don't think the owners had any small children.  Why is nobody questioning why a lady snakesitting an 18 foot retic for a friend brought her kid with her?     .


 Here is a quote from the article. I take it as the snake was at the "sitters" house
 ---"The family was taking care of the snake for some friends who were remodeling their business, where it is normally an attraction.  They are calling the attack a freak accident, because they do not know how the snake got loose. "---


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## Mushroom Spore (Jan 23, 2009)

DrJ said:


> One, why wasn't she responsible enough to leave the enclosure "closed"
> 
> and two, where was she to leave her child alone with the snake?


I'm sorry, do you have access to some other version of this article that states either of these facts? I'd really like to read it. (Snakes can wander anywhere in a home after they break out of an enclosure, hint hint.)



DrJ said:


> I doubt she even did any care or maintenance...Most likely she just went to look at the snakes and let the retic out to play with her kid while she went to watch some tv.  That would probably be the most likely scenario.


Most likely based on what exactly? Internet rage? Come on, guys.


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## Rochelle (Jan 23, 2009)

Moultmaster said:


> It says that the mom and her toddler were watching the snake for a friend while they were away.  I don't think the owners had any small children.  Why is nobody questioning why a lady snakesitting an 18 foot retic for a friend brought her kid with her?  A kid that is the same size as a suitable prey item for the aforementioned snake.  Too bad the snake had to be put down because of a parent who's an idiot.  Hypothetically speaking, if a friend of mine asked me to go feed his hot scorp collection while he was away I wouldn't bring my kid with me.  Yes I know pythons have no venom I was using the scorp comparison because they have the same potential to cause death as the snake did.  I hate reading these kinds of stories because they create a stigma around exotic pets.  And as much as I hate regulations, if you're going to use an 18 foot retic as a tourist attraction you should have to take some sort of competency test.


I couldn't have said it any better. :clap:


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## arachnocat (Jan 23, 2009)

I'm glad the article ends with: _"Metro says that no laws were broken, and that the attack can be likened to any other by a family pet, like a dog, for example." _
So many news stories like to point out how dangerous "exotic" pets are and that people shouldn't be allowed to keep them. I've been reading way too many of those lately. I live in California though, where a lot of people think it should be illegal to own ANY pets.  
I only keep small snakes but I still worry about them getting out and something happening to my cats. I constantly check to make sure my cages are secure. I imagine I would be extra careful if I had a snake that size with a kid around. Accidents happen though....


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## tarantulaholic (Jan 23, 2009)

loxoscelesfear said:


> this story would have been more exciting if the snake had eaten the kid and mom


sounds like a cool story.:clap:


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## burmish101 (Jan 25, 2009)

That retic isnt CLOSE to 18ft. just sayin...


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## willywonka (Feb 11, 2009)

*Update*

Thought I would give a little update to this story.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/39420957.html


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## Ghi Reptiles (Feb 11, 2009)

Nice retic...and good for mom for saving her child...but they are morons


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## Tim Benzedrine (Feb 11, 2009)

Sounds like irresponsibility to me. This part gave me pause, though...

"_The arrests contrast with how authorities dealt with previous animal attack cases, notably two last year in which pit bulls fatally mauled two young children. No one was charged in those cases because prosecutors felt they could not prove that the children were intentionally placed in harm's way, as the state statutes require.

Clark County District Attorney David Roger said this case is different, partly because it involves a snake.

_

Huh? This case was deemed a worse incident because it was a snake and not a dog?

Oh, and while they may have been made in jest, with statements like  "this story would have been more exciting if the snake had eaten the kid and mom" and responses like  "sounds like a cool story.", it is no wonder that keepers of exotics are sometimes considered strange at best. No matter how much the keepers may have been at fault, NO three-year old deserves to be a prey target of any predator. Expressing sentiments to the contrary only helps prove the point of the anti-exotics crowd, I think.


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## willywonka (Feb 11, 2009)

I wonder if the parents are being held responsible because of the lack of securing the tank which the snake lived in?  Would it have been different if the tank was an appropriate tank and the snake still got out.


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## hardlucktattoo (Feb 11, 2009)

first of all i wasnt their snake so the parents knowingly brought a threat into the house and the parents should be charged with criminal neglect and animal cruelty to get any snake to release all you have to do is pour alcohol over its face ignorance is no excuse


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## hardlucktattoo (Feb 11, 2009)

oops just read the update.............and the reason its worse is cause they are working on the herp ban


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## cjm1991 (Feb 12, 2009)

Poor snake


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## tarantulaholic (Feb 13, 2009)

hardlucktattoo said:


> first of all i wasnt their snake so the parents knowingly brought a threat into the house and the parents should be charged with criminal neglect and animal cruelty to get any snake to release all you have to do is pour alcohol over its face ignorance is no excuse


I dont think "ANYONE" having there kid being attacked by a very large snake will ever think of getting an alcohol:wall: . Any parent would freak out, grabbing closest sharpest object, or knife they can think of.
As much as I like snakes, I probably would have done same thing. The snakes head probably be chopped off first.
But the stupid parent should have never brought the snake in, knowing they have a small kid (which poses as a meal). Obviously this parent dont have common sense or just a retard.


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## Godzirra (Feb 16, 2009)

crazy ghetto sad, ducttape to hold up a cagE?


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