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