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KSL-TV (Salt Lake City, Utah) 03 December 04 Python Bites Student At Valley High School - "It Had Her And Wouldn't Let Go And Started Wrapping Around Her Hand. It Took A Little Doing But Got Her Off."
A wild day in Biology class at Valley High School when a Burmese Python acted up in class. If you don't like snakes, here's a story to make your skin crawl. Jed Boal tells us how a biology class got way out of hand today.
Biology Class at Valley High probably started off calmly enough, but before long, one student found herself in a quite a struggle. The biology teacher keeps a number of animals in the class. Among them a couple of large snakes including this Burmese Python, that measures six feet long. The students take care of it and handle it some.
One 14-year old girl who's handled the snake before, had it out of the tank, and somehow bumped it on the nose in a sensitive spot and it struck. It sank its fangs into the girl's hand between the thumb and forefinger. The python latched on, wrapped around the girl's arm, and started to squeeze. The teacher and stdents jumped in, the harder they pulled at the snake, the harder it hung on. But, they managed to free the girl.
Don Link/Valley High School Principal: "It's Very Scarey If You've Ever Been Bitten By A Snake, Even A Small One...She Was Mostly Frightened. She Was Not Badly Hurt At All."
"What Did It Feel Like?
Girl: It Was Awful."
It's not a poisonous snake, but has a sharp row of teeth and can deliver a serious bite. Paramedics took a look at the girl, but she'll be O-K. The girl iced the hand and was able to go back to class. The python, as you saw, went back to the tank.
Python Bites Student At Valley High School

Wow! I did not know they had fangs. I did not realize that it was all that scary to be bitten by even a small snake. (sarcasm)
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Justin

Yeah, you gotta watch out for those fangs, they'll get ya when you tap the sensitive spot. Until then, the snake diabolically stares at you and awaits any mistake you may make, anticipating a meal.

hehe
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2.2 Solomen Island ground boas
0.1 Solomen Island tree boa
1.0 green tree python
1.0 jungle carpet python
2.0 coastal carpet python
1.0 Boa constrictor imperator
0.1 Borneo short-tailed (blood) python
0.0.1 CB Florida banded water snake
1.0 albino Burmese python

I'm gonna have to go check my burms for fangs.....LOL
I like how they make a 6ft burm sound huge...

they stated the only real concern was she was scared from the incident. Granted it's still a snake bite and ya gotta love the media for being the idiots they are but...this did not sound like the typical story you see on the news. I only wish I had a biology teacher willing to keep live animals in a classroom when I was in school.
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DZ

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

1.0.0 Burm, Moses
0.0.2 Ball, Chico & Chewy (rescue, many scars)
0.2.0 Cats, Merideth & Hannah
1.0.0 Black Chow, Pivo RIP Oct 23
1.0.0 Blue Chow Puppy, pick up 18 Dec
1.4.0 Rats
0.2.0 Humans (a little obnoxious though)

Well, I like what CaptainHook said, it did at least say the only thing scary was the actual bite happening but looking at that tiny reddish mark on her hand (yeah I said tiny, it's just pinholes with inflammed skin around it...and how did that happnen? People pulling on the snake!) and hearing her say it was "aweful" just made me laugh. Come on girl, I've been hit by a 5.5' burm, a 4' burm and even a tiny one (many times over, LOL!) and it does NOT hurt (well fine, it smarts if you violently yank your hand back with the animal attached). Sure, the soap stings after the bite's over and I am no lover of pain period, but it's not "aweful".
You just gotta love the way the media works with people like that and helps to balloon it out into something like a "huge snake" (when it's only 6' - LOL) and people prying it off her hand into a scary story. LMAO!!
Sorry, I just see stupid people every day (who doesn't right?) and this only further made my eye twitch. haha!

I'm not ranting, just my 2 cents. People need to clearly be more educated on how to handle animals (pulling a snake off someone is NOT how you do it...unwinding? yes...pulling as hard as you can? now that WILL hurt your hand). ;D I'm just laughing still about it....

Hugs!

Amanda Rose - a little off her rocker lately so excuse the sarcasm and silliness. ;P

I do not blame the media on this one...their job is to make people think what is "not a big deal" seem like the end of the world and a tragedy. Its what they do and I expect nothing less than an article with a girl saying how aweful it was. I think the teacher is a complete moron. You all laugh at this and make fun of the incident but this is why more and more states are placing more bans on reptiles every year. The largest percentage of the voting population (old people) is not on kingsnake reading about responsible husbandry...they see this stuff on the news and in papers about a teacher (an educated person) who could not control the actions of this big snake. How do you think they will vote? And as far as how awefull it was, well I expect that of a 14 year old girl and I cant say I blame her. I have had a big ball python wrap around me and not let go (until I put a little warm water on her) and I had large bruising on my hand for the better part of the week. A 6 ft python has no business being handled regualrly by a bunch of school kids. Something will happen and in a school it will always be a big deal. How many people in the school will also now be more afraid of snakes for the rest of their life? Not to mention, it sounds like a pretty stressfull environment for the snake. I do not feel that snakes have no place in classrooms..in fact they can be a great benefit to support this hobby when you have a responsible teacher. A ball python would have been a better choice though. It just goes to prove their are way too many burmese pythons out there and in the hands of people who know too little about them to have a large snake.