Reptile & Amphibian Forums

DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE (Jasper, Alabama) 07 September 10 Aggressive snake missing in Sumiton (James Phillips)
The Sumiton Police Department issued a statement Monday afternoon saying it was searching the community for a missing "python-like" snake.
The snake, which was last seen in the Bryan Road/Harris Lane area of Sumiton, is considered extremely aggressive. Sumiton police chief T.J. Burnett said one Sumiton woman has already been bit by the snake.
"She was trying to keep the snake from getting to her child and it bit her," he said.
The woman was treated by paramedics but was not taken to the hospital, Sumiton Police Department dispatcher Sam Scherer said.
Eyewitnesses have said the snake is at least 10 feet long and between 10 to 12 inches in diameter, Scherer said.
"We need the community's help in locating this snake," Scherer said. "We want people to be on the look out, and they should contact the police immediately if they see the snake. Citizens should be cautious. We don't want anyone else to get bit."
Anyone with information regarding the snake should contact the Sumiton Police Department at 205-648-3261.
Aggressive snake missing in Sumiton

WBRC (Birmington, Alabama) 08 September 10 Sumiton woman says she was attacked by a Python
Sumiton, AL: Sumiton police are searching for what could be a python on the loose after a mother says she was attacked by it.
Michelle Russell was trying to protect her daughter from the snake when she was bit. It happened in her yard on Harris Lane.
On Monday afternoon, her 3-year-old daughter was playing on a tractor in the back yard. Russell was nearby and spotted the snake rolled up underneath the tractor, just inches from her daughter.
"I seen it when he struck," said Russell. "So I got her out of the way." Russell is left with painful scars and tiny bite marks on her arm and leg. She says she is a snake lover and knows it was a python.
Police are taking the incident seriously and warns families to be on alert. "We don't want a child to be eaten by a snake," said T.J. Burnett , Sumiton Police Chief. "We hunted for it for 6 hours yesterday and we tried to alert everyone in immediate area."
"He looked like he was about 6 feet long," said Russell. "If he would of gotten a hold of her it wouldn't of been so great. So that's what scares me."
Russell was treated at hospital for her injuries.
Chief Burnett says no one has reported a missing pet python and he says folks all over Walker County should watch out for the snake. Police say If you see it, do not try to catch it, just dial 9-1-1.
Sumiton woman says she was attacked by a Python