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Subscribe to RSSA Virginia man found dead in his home, surrounded by 24 caged snakes, died of complications from a snakebite, the state's medical examiner's office concluded.
Chesterfield resident Jack Redmond, 70, was found dead with bite marks that appeared to be from a Chinese palm viper on a finger, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Friday.
While poisonous, that snake is not typically deadly, but experts said Redmond's age and health -- he was battling prostate cancer and taking medications for that -- might have played a role.
"It's not simply a black-and-white issue, whether you're going to live or you're going to die if you're bit by the snake," J.D. Kleopfer, a state game and fisheries officials, told the Times-Dispatch. "A person's age and their health — those are other factors that kind of come into play, along with the location of the bite."
Redmond probably could have survived had he been treated soon after he was bitten, added Dr. Ruddy Rose, director of the Virginia Poison Center. It was not clear how much time passed before Redmond's wife called for help and first responders reached the home.
Redmond had considered himself an amateur naturalist but was violating an ordinance banning the possession of venomous snakes and wild and exotic animals.
The 24 snakes at his home were all venomous, and most were rattlesnakes, copperheads or vipers. The state game agency hopes to find zoos and nature centers to take the snakes.
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Snakebite deaths are very rare in the U.S., said Rose, who could recall only two deaths in the past four decades in Virginia "that were really proven to be the result of a snakebite."
"It's unusual to die from a snakebite in this part of the world," he added. "There are deaths that occur in Asia and South America and Africa, but it's very unusual in North America, if you get medical treatment."
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Leave a Comment:
Darwin in action. Winnowing out the stupid.....it's all in the game.
It appears the cause of death was a bite from a venomous snake.
How odd.
Maybe he was workin' on an act for America's Got Talent, but apparently, he didn't have any lol
Fighting a losing battle against prostate cancer... maybe he let the snake bite him...
Seriously, anyone who's dumb enough to house venomous snakes in your own home deserve to die. I'm sorry but it's the truth and sometimes truth hurts.. or maybe kills lol TRUST me..
This is what got Adam & Eve.
What a jerk! That should teach him a lesson!
Wow, what a shock, the right wing ignorant fringe doing what they do best and that is try and influence people viatheir absolute crazy ideas. Support them if you must but remember they are the outdated fringe.
It seems that so many people who think they can control wild animals get killed by them. When are people going to learn to leave them alone??
Disgusted: I think this guy got the message. Too bad others don't figure it out before they get their neighbors/friends/spouses, etc. killed.
Interesting that the article speculates that he would have survived if he had medical help sooner. Chesterfield is not exactly rural and does have a hospital. It's only 5-8 miles from the center of Richmond.
This snake has a nasty bite though, depending on the amount of venom and location, could easily be deadly for a person with health issues.
I never could understand the fascination with snakes, especially venomous kind, but a lot of people do keep them, unfortunately for the snakes and everyone else around them.
I HATE snakes period and why would anyone want 24 of them inside your home? This guy was freaking nuts.
When you play with fire, you usually get burned. I wonder what he thought was going to happen. When you deal with snakes you can run the risk of getting bit.
about as dumb as a pitbull owner
And this just in: John Simon, man who often jumped from buildings without a safety net or parachute was found dead on a local sidewalk. Deceleration trauma is believed to have caused his death.