The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Maryland confirmed that David Riston, 49, of Pomfret, was surrounded by 124 venomous and nonvenomous snakes when he was found unconscious in his home, WUSA-TV reported. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the Charles County Sheriff’s Department said.
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I kept a western diamondback rattlesnake in the house back in the 1980s. I'm not into reptiles as pets, but it was a nice conversation piece as well as a money-maker.
I used to bet anybody and everybody that walked through the door 5 bucks they couldn't hold their hand up against the glass of the terrarium and not flinch when the snake struck at it.
I never lost a single bet. If that snake struck, they flinched.
I had met a young man who kept a python. He used to take it out of the terrarium. He was warned often. It finally happened, the snake had gotten out and was found squeezing the life out of his rottweiler. The dog died. The guy was an asshole for a lot of reasons, killing his dog added to the list.
ReplyDeleteI discovered quite by accident, that kids' pet snakes are a great way to keep the mother in law from staying with us. Easiest pets EVER. So when kids grew up and left home, I kept the snakes.
ReplyDeleteFAFO
ReplyDeleteNope, noper, nope-nope-nope. No venomous snakes for me. I like snakes, but have no need to live dangerously. My brother and I, along with a friend of his, ran down and caught a 4' black snake. The snake settled down real quick, and eventually we went home and rang the doorbell. Mom answered the door and was vonfronted by my brother with the snake coiled on top of his head like a crown with beady black eyes and a flickering forked tongue. She had a fit. :-)
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have lost that bet because I wouldn't have been in the same room with that thing. I don't like rattlesnakes anywhere, anytime. I've been within inches of them a few times and luckily never got bit. I don't want to push my luck.
ReplyDeleteI went hiking in the hills SE of Denver several years ago with my mom. There was a sign at the trailhead warning of rattlesnakes. I walked past a couple of them, off the trail, completely oblivious until Mom mentioned they had been rattling. The ringing in my ears had blocked out the rattling. It was Nature's way of telling me to stay out of rattlesnake country. The next message could be fatal, so I stay out of rattlesnake country.
ReplyDeleteHouse full of snakes? Call Guy Montag to burn it.
ReplyDeleteI had a 6 foot Boa when I was young. We used to drop acid and feed it. It was cool, but when it shat, it was the nastiest smell I've ever smelled. I couldn't imagine having 100 of the stinkers.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, de-feathering chickens in boiling water was a pretty close second.