Patterico's Pontifications

8/9/2008

Venomous Snake on the Loose

Filed under: Miscellaneous — DRJ @ 3:10 pm

[Guest post by DRJ]

A 10″ venomous bush viper has disappeared from Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas, for the second time in a month. Officials can’t rule out staff carelessness but they suspect someone tampered with the enclosure in the first escape and stole the snake the second time.

Like me, Moody Gardens spokeswoman Jerri Hamachek is mystified:

“She had no explanation on why someone would steal a venomous snake. “It’s hard to know why anybody would do anything like that,” she said. “But it looks like that’s what they did.”

The culprit might be a good nominee for the Darwin award.

– DRJ

10 Comments

  1. Because HRC is already a married woman, and someone decided to “settle”? ]:-)

    Comment by M. Scott Eiland — 8/9/2008 @ 3:39 pm

  2. I guess the snake might be used as a murder weapon?

    Of course, caring for an animal like this is tough. And expensive. It will probably not live long. Too bad they don’t have cameras (why don’t they have cameras?).

    Comment by Juan — 8/9/2008 @ 4:15 pm

  3. The snake answers to the name “John Edwards.”

    Comment by Official Internet Data Office — 8/9/2008 @ 4:33 pm

  4. I hate snakes! Do you know there really is an age long hatred between man and snakes? That is why no other creature on earth evokes the kind of unusual reaction a snake causes in people. That is why each time I see it, I kill it! Snake is no friend of man.

    Comment by love2008 — 8/9/2008 @ 5:06 pm

  5. Comment by love2008 — 8/9/2008 @ 5:06 pm

    Dr. Jones, is that you?

    Comment by no one you know — 8/9/2008 @ 5:31 pm

  6. #5
    OMG! My cover is blown!

    Comment by love2008 — 8/9/2008 @ 5:42 pm

  7. We’ll have to wait and see which politician receives a large package….

    Comment by Another Drew — 8/9/2008 @ 7:00 pm

  8. A 10 inch snake?

    Comment by Scott Hornburg — 8/10/2008 @ 2:16 am

  9. Good news! The snake is back.

    Comment by DRJ — 8/16/2008 @ 6:14 pm

  10. DRJ #9: From your link:

    …because bush vipers prefer the treetops and are not active at night.

    Yeesh. Well, its a good thing they aren’t active at night…considering what time the window crew found them.

    As to preferring the treetops, I grew up with timber rattlers…I am NOT AT ALL pleased by the idea of a venomous snake ABOVE me. Bad enough to have to watch every footstep…

    Comment by EW1(SG) — 8/16/2008 @ 7:13 pm

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