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Never stop learning
While it’s a rare day in the newsroom when we don’t learn something new, this week’s snake story may have introduced us to the most exotic species we’ve ever researched for a news story.
The first question we had after hearing that a Gaboon viper was one of the snakes impounded Saturday when the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office nabbed a suspect for “exposing people to poisonous reptiles was “How do you spell that?”
Webster was no help, but, thanks to Al Gore, we have the Internet. We “googled” it and found the correct serpent almost instantly.
We learned from a site called “WhoZoo” that Gaboon vipers (Bitis gabonica) are found in the forests along the equatorial coast of Africa. They have large, thick bodies and reach an average length of 4 to 5 feet. They’re the longest vipers in Africa, and their fangs can be up to 2.25 inches long.
 “In biting, which he carries out with great vigor, he raises his entire forebody and injects the venom deeply into the wound,” says WhoZoo. “Many people have died as a result of being bitten.”
Moving along to a National Geographic News Web site, we learned more about those monster fangs.
“If you’re talking fang size, the Gaboon viper is the best-endowed snake on the planet. The fangs fold back against the roof of the mouth ... then snap out in an instant to strike.”
According to a page posted by the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Gaboon viper is the heaviest venomous snake, weighing up to 18 pounds and attaining a length of about 7 feet. It’s an “extremely venomous” but “usually docile” ground-dwelling snake.
From the online portion of the Survival IQ Handbook, we discovered that Gaboons are the largest and heaviest of all true vipers, and, while not aggressive, bite when molested or stepped on. Their fangs are “enormous.”
But the most interesting Internet discovery was a reprint of an article, dateline Philadelphia and copyright 1997 by United Press International, that describes what can happen when these snakes are kept in captivity:
“A 23-year-old man bitten by a deadly venomous snake from Africa was treated today at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with an antivenom provided by the chief veterinarian of the Philadelphia Zoo.
“The highly toxic venom of the Gaboon viper, which can grow to a length of 5 feet and has fangs up to 2 inches long, destroys the blood’s ability to clot and causes severe muscle and nerve damage.
“Zoo officials say Dr. Keith Hinshaw received an emergency call from the hospital at approximately 9 a.m. EDT, requesting antivenom to treat the bite of the deadly African snake.
“Hinshaw transported the German manufactured antivenom to the hospital.
“Authorities escorted a zookeeper to the victim’s home to capture the snake. There, along with the Gaboon viper, authorities found other animals, including a Canebreak ratttlesnake and a Diamondback rattlesnake, both venomous.
“It is illegal to own venomous reptiles in Philadelphia County; therefore the snakes were remanded into the custody of the Philadelphia Zoo.
“The authorities have not released the condition of the man.”
Quick action on the part of Detective Patrick McCoy and animal control officer Chris Tyson ensured that no one in Jackson County was bitten. The snakes recovered Saturday were remanded into the custody of the Western North Carolina Nature Center in Asheville and will be taken to the N.C. Museum of Natural History in Raleigh for placement in zoos.
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