Reptile & Amphibian Forums

SALT LAKE TRIBUNE (Salt Lake City, Utah) 06 May 06 Alleged rattlesnake prank sends teen to hospital
An alleged teenage prank sent a Grantsville High School student to the hospital Friday after he was bitten by a rattlesnake.
Three teenagers caught about seven baby rattlesnakes and let them go at the high school last Saturday evening, said Grantsville police Detective Dan Chamberlain. The injured student picked up one of the snakes Friday and was bitten on the thumb. He was treated with snake anti-venom.
Police have accounted for all but one snake. Police plan to file a reckless endangerment report with the Tooele County Attorney's Office.
Rattlesnake prank sends teen to hospital

A reckless endangerment prosecution sounds good to me. Some things are not meant to be played with. The same kind of reaction could have been accomplished by releasing non-venomous snakes in the school, without putting anyone's life or physical health at risk.

~~Greg~~

Video link at URL below

KUTV (Salt Lake City, Utah) 06 May 06 Tooele Teenager Bitten By Rattlesnake
A Tooele County teenager bitten by a rattlesnake at school Friday is talking about what happened.
Travis Williams saw the snake outside Grantsville High School. He said he knew it was a rattler, but picked it up anyway. The snake bit him.
“I didn't think it got me that good, it barely grazed my skin but it swelled up my whole wrist and my armpit,” said Travis.
Travis went to the hospital in Tooele and given anti-venom before being sent to Salt Lake for more treatment. He was released from the hospital Saturday and was expected to be just fine.
Tooele Teenager Bitten By Rattlesnake

"Travis Williams saw the snake outside Grantsville High School. He said he knew it was a rattler, but picked it up anyway. The snake bit him."

This statement could have very easily said this:
"Travis Williams saw the live grenade outside Grantsville High School. He said he knew it was a live grenade, but picked it up anyway. The grenade blew him up."

Idiot.

Not to mention the kids pulling the "prank". I hope they get more than a slap on the wrist.

it's a good thing that this imbecile isn't from australia. can you imagine:

'travis williams said he knew it was a death adder. but he thought that it looked cold so he picked it up and stuck it down his pants. he is now a woman.'

That's just wrong. Funny on so many levels though

Video at URL below

ABC 4 NEWS (Salt Lake City, Utah) 07 May 06 Poisonous snake bites Grantsville High School student; Police say snake may have been planted as a prank (Marcos Ortiz)
Never pick up a poisonous snake.
That's the lesson a Grantsville High School student learned.
On Friday, Travis Williams was headed home with a female student when she spotted an eight inch baby-rattler on the school parking lot. "She saw it and said there's a snake," Williams told ABC 4 News. "I picked it up even though she told me not to. I picked it up anyway. I'm not too bright that way."
The rattlesnake bite was lightning quick and Williams said he had no time to react."I was holding it with my right hand and was trying to grab it with my left hand behind the head so I could get it close and it bit me," he said. "It barely got me with one fang."
But instead of going to the doctor, Williams went on his way. "I didn't think much of it," he said. "Me and my friend got a drink."
But it was at the local convenience store that Williams noticed something wrong. "It started to swell up in my thumb," he said.
At the doctor's, Williams learned baby rattlers are more poisonous than the adults. He was lucky.
"Unless you know what you're doing, there is no safe way to handle a snake, none," said school teacher Matt Price who is also a snake handler.
Price was called to the parking lot where one of the snakes was found and right away, Price knew it was odd. "They hate people," he said. "We knew there was a problem we found the first one."
Meanwhile, Grantsville police were notified. They soon learned three young men who have since confessed and had dumped the snakes at the school a week ago.
"I don't think they thought a lot of what they were doing," said police detective Dan Chamberlain. "They didn't give it a lot of thought. To them it was just a prank."
Williams feels fine now and has no anger towards those who brought the snakes to school. "Not really," he said. "It's my fault. I was the one who picked it up."
Police will meet with the Tooele County Attorney's office on Monday for possible charges against the trio.
http://www.abc4.com/local_news/local_headlines/story.aspx?content_id=1D50A8D1-3AAB-4C4E-BE71-BC7EC27BF5B3

>I'm not too bright that way."

Couldn't agree more!

>>At the doctor's, Williams learned baby rattlers are more poisonous than the adults. He was lucky.

Nice to know MDs are helping to get the word out on the various myths and misunderstandings surrounding snakes. I suppose the kid just better be glad it wasn't one of those diamondbullcoppermoccasin racers that can bite their tails and roll in a hoop after you eh?!

>>"Unless you know what you're doing, there is no safe way to handle a snake, none," said school teacher Matt Price who is also a snake handler.

Whew, well at least they aren't all idiots.
-----
Chance Duncan
www.rivervalleyexotics.com

you are right, chance. the gene pool does not seem all that deep within that community.

KSL (Salt Lake City, Utah) 08 May 06 Teens Facing Charges for Rattlesnake Prank (Gene Kennedy)
Three Grantsville teenagers are facing charges for dumping rattlesnakes in a high school parking lot. The incident sent a teenager to the hospital.
A snake bit one young man when he tried to pick it up. He is doing fine, and is back in school today.
But meantime, the teenagers who allegedly put the snakes in the parking lot at Grantsville High may be suspended. They also could face misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment.
Det. Dan Chamberlain, Grantsville Police Dept.: "The only one who said as to why said it was a prank...I don't think they gave it a lot of forethought. They were out there, found them, and didn't know what to do with them. Figured that would be something to do. They actually know the teen. Two of them actually went out to the hospital and tried to see him. There was no maliciousness there. They I think they're sorry now."
Late last week, students started noticing rattlesnakes on school grounds. Turns out, there were seven baby snakes. The baby snakes are not as mature as adults but still six to eight inches long.
When a teenager picked one up, the snake bit him on the thumb, forcing him to go to the hospital. Over the weekend, he received anti-venom treatment and was released.
Mike Johnsen, School Superintendent: "That tells us he's doing well. He's healthy. Sure hope there isn't any other damage to him in any other way, tissue or something like that. Glad there wasn't more serious harm."
Most of the snakes have been removed but the school superintendent believes there may be one more on campus.
So a letter has been sent out to parents, warning students to be on the lookout for snakes and to wear closed toe shoes.
Teens Facing Charges for Rattlesnake Prank

Goodness! I'll second the thought that the gene-pool in that area must be rather shallow! " baby snakes are not as mature as adults" !
Unfortunately, some of my family live in that state as well. I think I'll have to bring up the idea that the kids should be educated not to try and pick up rattlesnakes!