Reptile & Amphibian Forums

WZVN (Naples, Florida) 28 August 07 Handler bitten by 3 1/2 foot rattlesnake
Charlotte County: A 30-year-old man has been bitten by a three and a half foot venomous rattlesnake.
It happened Tuesday night around 8:30 at 41180 Little Farm Road, which is near State Road 31 in Charlotte County.
Family members identified the victim as David Weathers. He is apparently a well known snake handler in the reptile world and has more than 140 snakes on his property.
Authorities say Weathers was bitten twice by an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, which is poisonous and can be very aggressive.
"They don't like to be cornered they don't like to be handled. If they get a chance they will turn and attack if in that position," said Battalion Chief Harper, who works for the Charlotte County Fire Department.
The victim's father, Kevin Weathers, says David was cleaning out cages when he picked up the Eastern Diamondback. When he attempted to put the snake in another cage it struck at him and its fangs landed twice between his thumb and index finger.
Kevin says David almost immediately lost feeling in his legs and was short of breath.
A medical helicopter quickly transported Weathers to Lee Memorial Hospital where they have anti-venin in stock.
Moments after he was given the anti-venin, Kevin spoke to us at the hospital about his son's condition.
"He is going to be fine. His blood pressure is fine, they gave him a sedative, and everything is ok. His hand is a little swollen. I have a big belief in God; we've gone through this before. You just have to be calm. I know he's not going to die," said Kevin Weathers.
Kevin says he and his son have both been bitten by venomous snakes in the past.
In fact back in 2003, we reported on Weathers after he was bitten in the stomach by a cobra.
His fight for survival made national headlines.
Later that year he also appeared on the MTV show "WildBoyz."
Weathers has also survived bites from an alligator and a lion.
Back then he told us why he worked with such dangerous animals.
"I like snakes it's something I've always been fascinated with," Weathers said in a 2003 interview.
Firefighters say that Weathers was taken to Lee Memorial because it has anti-venin, not all hospitals do.
Handler bitten by 3 1/2 foot rattlesnake

If anyone has seen the show Anatomy of a Snake Bite, that's David Weathers in the show discussing his cobra bite in the stomach.

"The victim's father, Kevin Weathers, says David was cleaning out cages when he picked up the Eastern Diamondback. When he attempted to put the snake in another cage it struck at him and its fangs landed twice between his thumb and index finger."

Geez, I wonder if he was trying one of those neat free-handling tricks he does.

Getting tagged by a venonous snake is like serial marriage . . . once is misfortune, twice a sign of minimal brain activity . . .

In David's fairness, I'm not going to take a quote from his dad as interpreted by the news reporter for the actions of David Weathers. We all know that the news screws up the facts either on accident or because they don't understand the lingo of the trade.

That said, if you're pinning snakes (like the monocle cobra) just for the sake of pinning or moving from cage to cage, it's more of a matter of when and not if.

Isn't that what hooks are for?

Not if you're "The Cobra Kid".

NAPLES DAILY NEWS (Florida) 29 August 07 Famed snake handler recovering from rattlesnake bite at Lee hospital (John Osborne)
David “The Cobra Kid” Weathers, a professional venomous snake handler and animal trainer best known for his appearances on MTV’s “Wildboyz” and “Jackass 2: The Movie,” remained in fair condition at Lee Memorial Hospital Wednesday after being bitten by an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake Tuesday night, according to hospital spokeswoman Pat Dolce.
The 30-year-old Punta Gorda man was transported to Lee Memorial because it’s the nearest hospital that keeps a supply of anti-venom on hand. Dr. Timothy Dougherty, medical director of the emergency room and a board-certified toxicologist, said it wasn’t Weathers’ first trip to Lee Memorial for treatment.
“He was treated here before after a king cobra bit him a few years ago,” Dougherty said of Weathers’ last brush with death, which eventually landed him guest spots on “The Montel Williams Show” and “Ripley’s Believe it or Not.”
“I was involved in his care that time, but Dr. Tucker Green is the one who took care of him this time. He got the call last night, evaluated him and then administered the anti-venom.”
Oddly enough, Dougherty said he also once treated Weathers’ father for a venomous snakebite.
“They’re both snake handlers, and his father was bitten by the same king cobra he was,” Dougherty said. “The bites happened within six months of one another, and in those instances, we had to call the Miami-Dade EMS for a special anti-venom.”
Dougherty said instances of life-threatening snakebites in the area aren’t as rare as most people might think.
“We see snakebites at least three or four times a year,” he said. “As far as a snakebite that’s serious enough to require anti-venom, our most common cases in Southwest Florida involve the pygmy rattlesnake.”
While the pygmy rattlesnake may be small, its bite packs a big wallop, Dougherty said.
“It’s a smaller, more aggressive snake, and when people are out doing their landscaping, or they drop their phone in the shrubs, they’ll snap at you,” he said. “The bigger rattlesnakes mostly want to use their venom on animals, so they usually won’t bite unless they’re startled or feel threatened.”
The bite of an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake can easily be deadly, Dougherty said.
“The Eastern diamondback is a significant rattlesnake, and when people are bitten they have significant symptoms,” he said. “In about 20 percent of the cases, they get what we call a “dry bite,” where no venom is injected.
The other 80 percent of the time, there’s a lot of pain and swelling, swelling that can double in size within the first hour, and there’s also the problem of severe bleeding, not just at the site, but throughout the body. When people die from a rattlesnake bite, they mostly die due to complications from the bleeding.”
Dougherty said all five hospitals in the Lee Memorial Health System keep a supply of anti-venom on hand.
“Each hospital has enough to treat at least one life-threatening case,” he said.
Dougherty said there are certain steps you should take if you’re bitten by a venomous snake.
“The most important thing I recommend if you’re bitten by a snake is to immobilize the site and to get to an emergency room as fast as you can,” he said. “Don’t try to cut or suck the venom out, because that can cause tissue damage, and a dirty mouth over the wound just gets more bacteria under the skin. Let us evaluate the patient. If they need treatment, that’s what we’re here for.”
Famed snake handler recovering from rattlesnake bite at Lee hospital

Video link at URL below

NBC 2 (Fort Myers, Florida) 29 August 07 Snake bite victim talks about his dangerous lifestyle
Charlotte County: The man who was bitten by a venomous snake talked about the attack Wednesday from his hospital bed.
David Weathers is a snake handler and while cleaning out a cage Tuesday night, he was bitten by an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.
"At the same time I was letting go. I felt her teeth just hit me," said Weathers.
He owns about 150 snakes and this isn't the first time one of them has turned on him.
But he quickly knew this latest bite was serious.
Within 15 minutes he was losing feeling in his legs. Emergency crews airlifted him to Lee Memorial Hospital where he received anti-venin.
"I don't expect it to happen, but I accept it when it happens," said Weathers.
The 30-year-old says he likes living dangerously.
"It's what I do. I'm a snake guy. I'm a venomous snake handler," said Weathers.
About four years ago, he was attacked by a cobra.
Weathers says despite this latest encounter with a venomous snake, he will be back at work very soon.
"As soon as I can walk again, I've still got about a half dozen more to clean," he said.
And his run-ins with snakes and other wildlife have gotten the attention of the national media. Weathers has been on MTV, Animal Planet and even the National Geographic Channel.
Snake bite victim talks about his dangerous lifestyle

I personally know Dave and spoke with him today. The original news story is wrong. You should not knock a man while he is down.

Paul
Link

With his responsible handling techniques, I don't see how anything could ever go wrong!

Wow some pretty strong criticisms were posted. Now deleted . Example,

" And as Terry said, this guy is NO FELLOW HOT KEEPER - not even remotely close. He's a road side b-grade animal act that has no place in this hobby or profession. I'm biting my lip and gonna shut up. " Rob Carmichael

Does this guy even know or anything about him Dave ?

Didn't Terry get hit by a rattlesnake not to long ago ?

Looks like the old self righteous double standard .

Dave literally grew up working with animals and doing shows. This is not something he got into yesterday the guys been doing it his whole life. For his age or any age he has an incredible background working with all types of wildlife.

What Dave does when it comes to his snake shows is no different then what any other stunt man does. It doesn't matter if you race cars, walk tight ropes or kiss king cobras at some point something is going to happen. It's a profession that comes with risk but it's a calculated risk.They do the best they can to keep the odds in their favor. When working with live animals as opposed to jumping a motorcycle over 20 cars there's always an added degree of unpredictability that adds to the element of risk.

The bottom line . If you ask the guy who jumps motorcycles or the guy who kisses cobras they will both tell you the same thing . Don't ever try it. These guys aren't out there advocating that anyone attempt to emulate them. Some people may not find it entertaining but a lot do and how these individuals make a living is their choice and they except the risk.

Personally I don't like the animal show thing at all. To me it's boring and silly. I've always had a major dislike for it and have told Dave what I think about it many times. I'm the complete opposite. Believe me I'm no fan of the guy or what he does to say the least. That being said when you objectively compare the number of animals, number of years to how few notable injuries he's had his track record is pretty amazing. It's not just luck. He paid his dues putting in the time with the animals. I'm not going to take that away from him. In the past I've worked with Dave under a wide range of circumstances dealing with all types of reptiles, big cats, elephants you name it.

It's easy as it is to take pot shots and a guy with Dave's attitude makes it even easier. It doesn't matter who you are accidents happen. Animal dealers , Trainers and Phd scientist have all been injured / Killed . No one is immune.

Ernie Eison

I don’t know why the thread got whacked, maybe because I posted a link to his Myspace page? Maybe they don’t like that? It was my intention to let the people who were quick to criticize that this isn’t any “ordinary” guy acting irresponsibly. Yes he is a showman and he owns over 100 venomous snakes. If you checked his site you could see his pictures of him wrestling alligators, doing shows with king cobras, etc going back to when he was a young teen. Him getting bit in no way reflects on the responsible casual keeper. No matter what your opinions, I thought it was best to wish him a full and speedy recovery.

David Weathers at FIFTEEN!!!

"Him getting bit in no way reflects on the responsible casual keeper."

It doesn't reflect on the rest of the community? That's odd because I was visiting a small town in Arkansas recently and when it was brought up that I kept snakes I had 3 different people that I've never met tell me about this news story and assume that is the kind of thing that all of us keepers do.

Holy Cow!

Your quote:

"Him getting bit in no way reflects on the responsible casual keeper."

Whats that about? It reflects and make us all look like idiots.
David was foolish and irresponsible, period.

Randal Berry

"Him getting bit in no way reflects on the responsible casual keeper."
Whats that about? It reflects and make us all look like idiots.

Isn’t that like saying Evil Kneivel makes all motorcycle riders look like idiots?
Responsible casual keepers are not daredevil showmen, and there should be no connection between the two. I guess we are worried that the public won’t understand the difference? I guess I can see that point, geez how sad.

I don’t understand putting someone down for getting bit any more than killing a snake for biting. You’d flame him worse if he was using venomoids. It is unfair for most of us to compare our safety record to a guy who owns a hundred venomous snakes.

Here’s what bothers me more. For kids thinking about owning a venomous snake, it is a bad impression that people are regularly bitten and treated without much in the way of adverse effects. The news story will sensationalize the bite, which usually ends with “victim expected to leave hospital later today”. Doesn’t sound so bad. Not usually any follow up on the medical bill, the lingering pain, stiffness, paralysis, etc that is part of the post bite events that can last months. So I definitely think it is bad to spread the notion that venomous snake bites are not that big a deal. They are a big deal and that is why I would always wish anyone who was bitten a full and speedy recovery.

I see your point, however I don't see what owning a hundred venomous snakes mean?
I own well over a hundred, perhaps closer to two hundred and I'm very careful.

David is a showman and showmen take chances that reflects responsible keepers, if the showmen get bit while taking un-necessary risks.
And, I'm not flaming him or you, just stating my opinion.

Randal Berry

Well I’m not his brother or anything either. For that matter I have never seen the dumb Jackazz movies either, not my thing. The stuntman aspect I can see a lot of people against anything like that with animals, period. I just didn’t see any of that being a reason not to wish the bite victim well. I’m sure a lot of people would have the exact same feelings about this guy even if he had never been bitten, because of the “show off” aspect of what he is all about. It is something of an act that intelligent people should be able to see through. Most of these guys like Austin Stevens are selling a show in front of the camera, and probably very serious responsible people with a sincere passion for what they do in “real life”. I’m done defending the guy, for all I know maybe he really is an idiot, I am inclined to give people the benefit without attacking when I don’t know. But I would wish even the known idiot bite victims out there a speedy and full recovery.

sexed, maintained, and sold MORE VENOMOUS HERPS of more species than probably anyone ever has in the 30 plus years of dealing in venomous. I had everything from seasnakes to Sand Vipers. In all those years involving many employees plus myself we had only 3 venomous bites. I had 2 of those but I was bitten thru the bags in freak accidents. I had one employee bitten by a Mole Viper during cage cleaning. He was bitten BECAUSE he violated company rules. We didn't have bites because we had guidelines. I know D. Weathers very well and he knows how to handle venomous. However he takes unnecesary risks constantly. I believe that the fewer times you are bitten means that you are very good at what you do. A great boxers record is NOT BASED ON HOW MANY TIMES HE GETS KNOCKED OUT BUT HOW MANY PEOPLE HE KNOCKED OUT!!!! Having 100 venomous snakes is not a lot. We usually had over 100 species involving 1,000's of animals IN STOCK ALL THE TIME!! In over 30 years we had 3 bites. As far as I am concerned that was 3 too many. Ask R. Berry how many venomous he saw and packed while employeed by me. Sorry Dave, I hope you get better quickly from the bite but you PLACE YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO BE BITTEN OFTEN Tom Crutchfield

I ask because I assumed the skit in Jackass 2 where he puts the king cobra in the locked trailer with Bam Margera was a venomoid. Not sure if putting a HOT king cobra in with someone locked in a trailer is better, but I wondered what snake was actually used.

Ernie,
you made some good points in your post, Some of the stuff I didn't really agree with though.
Comparing a bite that occurs from a miscalculation or simple mistake by some one using the proper safety equipment and following a safety protocol(as in terry's case) to a bite that occurs because someone intentionally and habitually handles snakes with his bare hands(as in davids case) is not really an apple to apple comparison.
As you said no one is immune from the risk of a bite even with proper equipment/practices, I also agree with you that David is not simply lucky, he chooses to put himself into some very dangerous situations on a regular basis and has had an astoundingly low number of bites, he is a skilled handler.

You said that he accepts the risks that come with choosing to do what he does,another thing that comes with that choice
is that he will not likely gain the respect of people who try to present venomous keepers as safe and responsible by handling their animals properly.
Ryan

I want to say that I have known Dave for a number of years now and consider him a great friend and a mentor. I have worked with his snakes on many occasions and learned a tremendous amount from him. I consider myself very responsible, I do not freehandle and always practice safety. I dont think its fair when people want to say bad things about him when they dont even know him. Dave has been doing snake and alligator shows at many Florida tourist attractions for years. These type shows are not much different than what Bill Haast used to do with King Cobras every Sunday at the Miami Serpentarium or Ross Allen with Eastern Diamondbacks and several others have been doing in Florida for tourists for years.

Sloane

The family that founded and still owns Reptile Gardens the place that employs Terry Phillip has it's roots firmly planted in dare devil snake show history. To this day handlers doing animal shows featuring venomous snakes,alligators etc.are a large part of this tourist attractions agenda . This guys remarks along with those of several others were clearly out of line. Ernie Eison

Reptile Gardens History