HikeArizona.COM

From CNN.com
YACOLT, Washington (AP) -- A man who was showing off for friends by kissing his new rattlesnake was bitten on the lip and nearly died.

Matt George, 21, was hospitalized in critical condition after the incident Sunday. By Tuesday, his condition had been upgraded to serious.

George was showing friends the snake he had caught on a recent trip to Arizona. Holding the 2-foot snake behind the head, he kissed it.

"I said, 'OK, man, you're being stupid, put it away,"' recalled Jim Roban. "He said, 'It's OK, I do it all the time."'

After the second kiss, the snake bit him under his mustache. He dropped the snake on the kitchen floor, and Roban killed it with his cowboy boot.

As they waited for an ambulance to arrive at George's home, his face began to swell.

"He said, 'I'm going to die,"' Roban said. "I said, 'No, you're not going to die, just calm down and relax."'

Sheriff's Deputy Steven Johnson said he watched in the ambulance as George became limp and his eyes rolled back in his head. After George lost consciousness, he was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Portland, Oregon.

How does it go, Stupid is as stupid does??

moron!

Unbelievable, but I've heard experts say, as high as 80% of rattle snake bites occur after someone picked it up!
Also, a very high percentage of those are intoxicated males under 35.

Darwin was right, we see it happening all around us!

Mike wrote: After the second kiss, the snake bit him under his mustache. He dropped the snake on the kitchen floor, and Roban killed it with his cowboy boot.

This is the part that pisses me off! I hope the dumby is charged for animal cruelty. I don't get it, I really don't.

Thass why I only Kiss 'Em Once!

Gila monsters grab ahold and don't let go....DAMHIKT

:roll: -Randy

Not quite successful enough for a Darwin Award http://www.darwinawards.com/- but darned close

I don't blame the snake one bit! I'd have bit him too! Yet another example of a green-toothed, drooling mouth breather whose family tree doesn't branch.

I agree, the knuckle dragging mouth breather got exactly what he deserved. The snake on the other hand did not deserve nor ask for any of this to happen. The poor snake just suffered the consequences of the intelligence of a life form lower than the snakes belly.

Maybe when he gets out of the hospital we can have him arrested for illegally transporting wildlife and animal abuse. Beauty fades, but stupid is forever!

I have only seen a couple Rattlers on the trails so far. Almost stepped on one too. Just inches.

Closest I'll ever want to get, thanks. People never cease to amaze me.

_____

Tom

I laugh at the guy bit on the lip. :pois: Now there's an idiot boy don't you know and I don't feel sorry for him at all.

Don't like the snake having to die because of idiot boy killing it.

Run into rattlers a time or two or three, I have lost count and they always scared the *&%$ out of me but I never bother them or had a need to kiss 'em, or even kill 'em. So I enjoy watching 'em and marvel at 'em from a safe distance. :rollH:

Leaned on a boulder with a large crack in one day-under my hand was a baby rattler(I thought that boulder felt a little soft!) When I lifted my hand he ran for the crack and I ran for the hills(I'm not sure who was more alarmed)
Randy

I as well do not blame the snake, as it was only doing what you or I would do if someone/thing 100 timez our size picked us up and kissed us, after grabbing us rather firmly behind the head.

I hiked in S/Mountain 4 years ago and went off trail about 100 feet
to answer the call of nature......
went behind large boulder in shade, in August heat...
as 36 year old with mentality of 15 year old, aimed
for crevice behind rock to test distance vs. accuracy....
awoke very large, angry, rattly (sic) pee-pee'd on snake..
ran furiously while re-zipping (kid'z-don't try this at home)

Anyhow, I agree that the dang fool idget should be extradited
and charged with illegal transportation of wildlife/animal cruelty
and S.S.A ----> Sexual Snake Abuse!!

Hope to be on the trails Sunday 11/24 in of course
the Supes


"If you think that's good, watch this!"
Cygie

A thought occured to me, while on the subject of snakes. How 'bout the Arizona or Western Coral Snake? They are one in the same. Pretty colorful snake and beautiful! How many here seen them?

As far as I know the Western and the Arizona Coral snake is one in the same. I've even heard of it referred to as the Arizona Western Coral snake. Anyhow, it is a very beautiful snake indeed. I haven't had the opportunity to see one in the backcountry yet, but I have seen (and even handled) them many times in captivity.

About the rattlesnake story: Moronic is the word that comes to mind. Both the guy that was bitten and the guy who killed snake. And it is true, the vast majority of snake bites occur because some stooge decided to mess with the snake. I think the guy that got bit definately learned his lesson... well let's hope he did!

On a similar note, I've got a little video a rattler I came across in the 'Supes a couple weeks back. It's horrible footage but I was lost and shaken, sorry!

http://homepage.mac.com/scottmackey/Personal16.html

Abe wrote:How 'bout the Arizona or Western Coral Snake? They are one in the same. Pretty colorful snake and beautiful! How many here seen them?

Actually - they are two distinct species of coral snake. The Coral snake is the primary species in the east and most midwest states, and can also be found in the west occasionally. The Western coral snake can be distinguished by being slightly darker in color (very mild effect) and having black speckles throughout. They are found primarily in the south and in the west. The two species can be found in the same habitat and in the same areas - but they are considered two distinct species.

I think your chances of meeting a coral snake in arizona run about equal between the two species. Mountains at higher elevations will tend to have th Coral snake, and lower elevations will tend to have the Western Coral - but again, that is not necessarily a hard, fast rule, more a trend than anything.

scottmackey wrote:On a similar note, I've got a little video a rattler I came across in the 'Supes a couple weeks back. It's horrible footage but I was lost and shaken, sorry!

Nothing wrong with the video dude. It's your head! How far away was that?

I would have said have a nice day Mr. Snake (actually rattling and all coiled up). You never really know how far those things can lunge. It's pretty amazing actually. I saw a special once on Discover Channel about those snakes. Size doesn't matter much with them. Wish I could remember what the lenght-to-lunge ratio was.

Tom

A rattlesnake can cover half their body length on a strike.

The biggest baddest rattlers get about 6 feet long, so stay 6 feet away and you are very safe. From 3-6 feet you are probably safe, less then 3 feet away, you might as well kiss it.