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NATIONAL LEDGER (Phoenix, Arizona) 22 August 06 Live Rattlesnakes Released in Arizona 'Snakes on a Plane" Theater (CK Rairden)
Two live rattlesnakes were released in an Arizona theater during a showing of the new film, 'Snakes on a Plane.' The snakes were released after the film began rolling in the dark theater at the AMC Desert Ridge multi-plex at Tatum and the 101 in north Phoenix.
The two baby diamondbacks were actually slithering around the theater while the snakes on a plane were slithering around on screen with Samuel L. Jackson.
A bit of a panic ensued, the theater was emptied and the Arizona Herpetological Association was called in to remove the snakes.
"People are carrying them in - we believe - in backpacks - and releasing them form a container," Tom Whiting of the Arizona Herpetological Association said.
Baby rattlesnakes are even more dangerous than adult diamondbacks. A report online from James Q. Jacobs notes that baby rattlesnakes are very venomous.
"They're very deadly, very, very dangerous right from the start. Babies actually will eject all of their venom, as opposed to the adults that will eject some of their venom some of the time."
Baby rattlesnakes also can't warn their victims as they do not have rattles; rattles develop after several skin 'sheddings.'
No one was bitten by either of the snakes and the baby rattlers were captured and released into the surrounding desert.
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The western diamondback is one of six rattlesnake species found in the surrounding deserts of Phoenix and one of the most common snakes in Arizona.
Snake experts in the valley are suggesting that theater owners check any backpacks that are carried into the theater for containers that may carry the snakes in case any copycats try the very dangerous stunt.
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"Snakes on a Plane" captured the weekend box-office title with a take of $15.2 million.
Live Rattlesnakes Released in Arizona 'Snakes on a Plane" Theater

ARIZONA REPUBLIC (Phoenix) 23 August 06 'Snakes in a theater' a hoax (Lindsey Collom)
Police say reports that rattlesnakes were let loose during a showing of Snakes on a Plane at a north Phoenix theater have taken moviegoers for a ride.
There is some shred of truth to the story, Phoenix police Sgt. Joel Tranter said. A 10-inch-long rattlesnake was found Friday in a hallway at AMC Desert Ridge 18, near Tatum Boulevard and Loop 101. But it likely slithered inside on its own, Tranter said.
A security guard swept the snake outside and held it in a container until a member of the Arizona Herpetological Association could take it away. Snake handlers had been called earlier in the day to retrieve a rattler from outside the theater.
An AMC spokeswoman told the news organization Reuters that the rumors were true, but Tranter has been refuting the story to news outlets from across the U.S.
'Snakes in a theater' a hoax

ECHO (Basildon, UK) 21 August 06 Snake! A real life theatre drama (Rob Pritchard)
Moviegoers are flocking to cinemas to view the hit film Snakes on a Plane - but this was more a case of Snake in Box Office.
Basildon Towngate Theatre manager Albert Gardner got a shock as he closed the box office and found a 3ft long Asian stripe-tailed rat snake.
Mr Gardner, 55, said: "I was going around closing the office doors.
"One would not shut properly so I looked down and saw a rubbery tail waggling.
"When I opened the door I saw a snake lying on the floor."
The non-venomous snake was collected by the RSPCA and is now at a wildlife hospital in Orsett.
Snake! A real life theatre drama

NATIONAL LEDGER (Arizona) 23 August 06 Snakes on a Plane in a Theater Debate: Where Did They Come From? (CK Rairden)
The 'Snakes on a Plane' in a theater debate rages on in Phoenix. The slithery debate has all of Phoenix buzzing as police and snake experts differ on exactly what happened and how a baby diamondback rattlesnake made its way into a theater complex where the film 'Snakes on a Plane' was being shown.
This much is agreed on. There were not two snakes in the theater as originally reported on Phoenix television. There was one snake in the theater and another in the parking lot of the AMC complex at Tatum and the 101 Freeway in North Phoenix.
The National Ledger talked to several Phoenix police officers on Tuesday and the consensus from the department is that one snake was captured by an off-duty female officer in the hallway of the theater complex.
She was working on security detail and on site when the incident occured.
The baby rattler was literally scooped up with a broom and dustpan and placed in a Tupperware container, Officer Stacie Derge told TNL. The officer on the scene then called the Arizona Herpetological Association and they took the baby rattler.
Officers believe that the snake may have entered the complex on its own, perhaps from a construction site nearby.
That theory was scoffed at by snake experts. The consensus from those that handle snakes for a living is that the snake was likely placed in the building, perhaps being brought into the cinema in a container placed in a backpack or purse.
The theory is that no baby snake could make it across traffic from the construction site and into a building where all of the doors are closed unless people are entering the building.
Handlers called it a reckless and dangerous stunt, and if the snake was brought in by a moviegoer they would be correct.
The National Ledger also spoke with AMC on Tuesday and they told us that they recognize the release of the film “Snakes on a Plane” has generated a lot of attention.
The spokesperson called the situation an "isolated incident that occurred this weekend at a Phoenix theatre was taken care of immediately and none of our guests were harmed. We hope our guests will continue to respect their fellow moviegoers by not engaging in any disruptive activities during the film and, as always, AMC takes steps that are both proactive and cautionary to ensure the safety and security of our guests and associates."
The incident has dominated local news now for nearly 24 hours as stories seem to continually change and reports vary.
But the general consensus of those interviewed the AMC Desert Ridge 18 theatre was that the whole incident was a little scary and very creepy.
Snakes on a Plane in a Theater Debate: Where Did They Come From?