Family Temporarily Loses 26 Snakes After Bite

[Lisa]

From http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/2419821/detail.html

West African Black Mamba Snake Bites Owner

POSTED: 2:59 p.m. EDT August 20, 2003
UPDATED: 3:01 p.m. EDT August 20, 2003

A Tampa family of six temporarily lost its collection of 26 venomous snakes after one of the most dangerous bit the owner four times.

Russell Lee Anderson is recuperating in a Florida hospital on dialysis after a West African black mamba recently bit him. Soon, though, Anderson -- and all of his snakes -- will be back in their trailer with his wife and four children, WFLA-TV in Tampa, Fla., reported.

The collection is perfectly legal because Anderson has all of the right permits to keep the snakes and he keeps them in clean cages in his bedroom. The black mamba's venom affects the nervous system. It starts by making your eyelids stop working and ends in your heart, if you get a big enough dose.


Fortunately for Anderson, the snake was striking in defense, not an attack mode, and he got less venom. He had just enough time to put the snake back in its cage and call for help.

He is on a respirator to help him breathe and in intensive care, and no one knows for sure how long it will take his body to get rid of all the venom. Meanwhile, his snake collection is being kept by two other licensed collectors in Orange County.

The 26 snakes include three eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, four gabon vipers, four rhinoceros vipers, four pope's tree vipers and the West African mamba.

Stay with TheWBALChannel.com and WBAL-TV 11 News for the latest news updates.

[CDN-Cresties]

Ouch, hope that guy gets well soon.

-Steve-

[SCReptiles]

Looks as though he will live, but since they made a point to let us know he lives in a mobile home, I am assuming he is in the lower income bracket. This bite is going to cost him over $100,000. This was by all means a life altering experience for him. This is fuel for the BW Smith’s campaign. There are very few keepers with the means and experience necessary to keep Mambas. I don’t know this guy, so I can’t speak to his experience, but if he is keeping such a snake in the same mobile home as his family, I would take the position that he does not have the means to be keeping them.

[J-Man]

is it just me or does that last paragraph only account for 16 of the 26 snakes?

[ANACONDASAURUS]

Originally posted by SCReptiles
Looks as though he will live, but since they made a point to let us know he lives in a mobile home, I am assuming he is in the lower income bracket. This bite is going to cost him over $100,000. This was by all means a life altering experience for him. This is fuel for the BW Smith’s campaign. There are very few keepers with the means and experience necessary to keep Mambas. I don’t know this guy, so I can’t speak to his experience, but if he is keeping such a snake in the same mobile home as his family, I would take the position that he does not have the means to be keeping them.


I hope the guy gets well, But like SCR stated above he doesn't have the room for them if he has them in his bedroom in a mobile trailer and with 4 children not good!

[SCReptiles]

They will only post the snakes that are sure to grip the public’s attention. They probably left out the other cause they were copperheads or pigmy rattlesnakes.

[ANACONDASAURUS]

Originally posted by J-Man
is it just me or does that last paragraph only account for 16 of the 26 snakes?

No me too.

[TheRedDragon]

Yikes! A mamba bite! I sure hope that he makes it! Invictus and I were talking about mambas today actually. Aside from them being illegal to keep and their venom, he wouldn't want them due to the fact that they're so incredibly cunning and intelligent. Honestly, I wouldn't want something that is that cunning AND has a wicked temper to boot.

[cobraman]

I spoke to Russ's wife this morning, He is doing much better. He is off life support. He was bitten three times (2 while trying to put the snake back into the cage.) He used 15 vials of SAIMR antivenom (but should have been given more, sooner). He is a good handler (we have sold him many snakes).
Blessings
Ray Hunter

[Jeff_Favelle]

Why did they temperarily "lose" the other 26 snakes? Did he go on a hallucinogenic rampage and let them all loose after being bit?

I don't get it.

[cobraman]

they DID NOT lose the snakes. Stephanie has them all accounted for. They were removed from the house because 1) Russ was not home ands she does not handle hots, and 2) the home association wants to evict them for having venomous snakes. They did not know Russ had hots in that community. You all should know better than to put any faith in what the press prints.
Blessings
Ray

[Jeff_Favelle]

But unless he's gone for more than a few weeks at a time, why else (other than being thrown out) would the snakes have to be moved? I still don't get it. Snakes don't Do anything. They can sit in their cages for weeks and not need any attention.

Am I missing something where hots need daily care or something?

[redcarpet]

Whats not to understand??? if your wife did not handle or like venomous snakes, and you have 4 little children in the house with her, and you will be in the hospital for 2 weeks, would you really want 26 venomous snakes in that home with your loved ones? One of the children could bust the glass on a cage etc. Removing the venomous snakes was a wise decision.

[Lisa]

I think the issue of them being removed is two fold. The wife doesn't want to deal with them and with them removed the home owners association can't do a thing about them.

[marisa]

It said "losses" snakes. But obviously this is the press so whats that mean? LOL. Anyways did they "loose" them as in someone took them into custody temp. Or did they choose to remove them for awhile from the home?

Marisa

[Invictus]

If the wife didn't want the snakes there without her husband there, maybe none of those snakes should be there to begin with. Just my opinion. That being said, on the flip side, Cobraman, I wish your friend well, and I'm glad he's off life support.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Totally Invictus. The important thing is that the dude is recovering. His health is the #1 concern. I'm sure I speak for everyone here when we say that we all wish him the best and fastest recovery. :D

[marisa]

I do too. It must be painful even WITH antivenom to go through that. I can't imagine the fear, even from a experienced hot keeper, that must go through your mind when you realize you've been bitten. It must be a scary, humbliing exeperience.

Marisa

[Mustangrde1]

First off let us take this in to concideration, Russ is a hot handler and licensed if Stephanie is not licensed to to keep them than by Florida law they can not be in the house till Russ gets home.Do i dare even go there with the media and its need for blowing a story up to meet its needs,If so I can think of a story that was blown way out of the truth.

[SCReptiles]

Ray and Scott, seems you two know this guy. Was this report accurate? He is keeping 26 venomous snakes and a family of 6 in a mobile home?

[Mustangrde1]

Chuck Ray knows him better than I do . My point was more to the fact that in Florida only a Licensed VRP holder can keep them.I can not speak for the conditions the family may or may not live.But I do know full well from first hand experiance the Media love to blow things way out of sight to make a story seem more urgent or serious or whatever.Ask any good cop and most will tell you they hate the press. All I can say about this is God speed in Russ's recovery and my prayers are with him and his family and animals.

[Ed_r]

Yeah trailer home and hots sound like a very dangerous situation. Specially with 4 young children, and a very innexperienced wife.I'm glad he is recovering, well that is most important.
Just sounds like more future tragedy in the making.

[Mustangrde1]

Can we get off the trailor thing . I have seen triple wides that put houses to shame. No one knows how big a " trailor " it is.It would be as if someone said your 1200 square foot home isnt large enough. As a construction worker I have been any many sized homes from single wide trailors to Multy roomed mansions.An acciddent occurred a person was injured.and the F****** Media blew it out of preportion again.

[marisa]

I must agree with that. The press may have put trailer but my grandmother lives in a trailer that's almost as large as my house, and it's totally up to date and modern. Not a trailer trash trailer.

Marisa

[cobraman]

YEs, Chuck, Russ has a wife and 4 children. They do live in a trailor park, but I do not have any independant recollection of the size of the trailor. I have sold him many hots (including Black Mambas), and I feel that he is a good handler that had an accident.
Blessings
Ray

[reverendsterlin]

hope he makes a totally full recovery. I live in a trailer, but my hots have their own deadbolted bedroom with their own locked enclosures inside of that. Where one lives is less important than how. That said, I would not have hots housed in my bedroom, an accident in the snake room set up so that there are not the little nooks and crannies found in a regular room is one thing, a gaboon under my bed something completely different lol.

[BWSmith]

I have never said anything about keeping hots in trailers. As long as they are secure rooms and not falling apart (same with a house). Apartments on the other hand I have a problem with. Glad he is recovering. Nasty bite.