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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.
Alleged rattlesnake prank sends teen to hospital

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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

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