That just ain't good on any level.

First off, if he was bitten trying to feed the snake, he obviously wasn't using the proper techniques or equipment. Why would you ever have your hand (or any other appendage) within striking distance of a Rhino Viper, ESPECIALLY during feeding time? I have kept many Rhinos, Gaboons, Puffs, etc. They are deceptive. Normally sluggish but unpredictable and strike like LIGHTNING, especially to the side, when they are after something. I know another guy who is destined for this fate also. He has some Gaboons and a couple of Rhinos that he has "relationships" with. He FREE-HANDS the Gaboons. These are big Gaboons...he thinks he's had them long enough that they know him and won't bite him. Sorry..it just doesn't work that way. At least he has enough sense not to try it with the Rhinos. One of these days, though...that big Gaboon is going to wake up on the wrong side of the bed, decide it doesn't want to be picked up and fry this guy like a piece of bacon.

Familiarity breeds contempt. Just because a snake hasn't attempted to bite before, people get the idea that it won't ever. That (as evidenced here) can be a fatal mistake. Proper training and coaching in the beginning will teach you not to ever let your guard down, not to ever become complacent or try to take shortcuts. I would hazard a guess that this unfortunate fellow was an untrained keeper of venomous snakes.

I'm no fan of restrictive/prohibitive legislation regarding the keeping of venomous snakes, but that is exactly where this kind of incident will lead us. If we don't police our own ranks, it will get to the point that no one can keep anything more dangerous than a butterfly. I think that legislation such as Florida has regarding the keeping of venomous snakes is probably a good thing. From what I understand, they require a certain amount of time under the tutelage of an licensed, experienced keeper before they will issue a permit. To me, that is preferable to legislation that simply states that individuals cannot keep venomous species. You can bet that more states are going to prohibit venomous snakes in private collections if bites and escapes continue to occur as frequently as they do now. I think training can help this situation.

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