Reptile & Amphibian Forums

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS (New York) 24 March 04 Pet rattler takes bite out of man (Richard Weir and Leo Standora)
A Long Island man feeding his pet rattlesnake got into big trouble yesterday when the diamondback put him on the menu, police said.
The 3-foot-long rattler bit Andrew Kessler, 25, on the right hand, injecting a potentially lethal dose of venom, they said.
Kessler managed to call 911 and summon cops and Nassau County paramedics to his Massapequa home shortly after 4 p.m. They took him by helicopter to the snake-bite center at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.
Paramedic supervisor Robert O'Brien said the "relatively slow-acting" snake venom would "likely do a lot of damage to the guy's skin and muscle, but otherwise he should be okay."
"He's lucky he called right away," O'Brien said.
By late last night, Kessler was in good condition on anti-venom medication and was expected to make a full recovery, a Jacobi spokesman said.
Investigators said Kessler also kept a poisonous copperhead, as well as several nonvenomous snakes, at his home.
The law prohibits anyone from possessing poisonous snakes without a license. It was unclear if Kessler had one.
Pet rattler takes bite out of man

...that there's a snakebite center in the Bronx.
-----
Larry D. Fishel
Side effects may include paralysis
and death but are generally mild.

It was established for zoo keepers at the world famous Reptile House at the Bronx Zoo. Unfortunately, a-holes like Kessler abuse this medical program. Peter Brazaitis, a zoo curator and respected herpetologist started the emergency snakebite medical service in the bronx when he befriended a physician at Jacobi hospital. His book:
You belong in a zoo! : tales from a lifetime spent with cobras, crocs, and other creatures / Peter Brazaitis. IS EXCELLENT! Lots of great stories and funny anecdotes. A personal favorite.

I'll second that... great book and tells a lot of history.