THINK AGAIN

A homeless man in Alabama thought he was safe to pick up the head of a venomous snake since it had been decapitated by his friend using a machete.

(Thanks to Jeff Meyerson)

Comments

[Punkin]

He. Was. Wrong.

[Jeff Meyerson]

Dumb@ss.

But on the good side, he did come in third in the Billy Bob Thornton look alike contest.

[poker]

It was the snake venom that made him delirious and fall down.
Yeah, right.

[nursecindy]

....found throughout the south east of the country, like in Mobile, Alabama.

When did they move Alabama? Didn't it use to be in the deep south?

[Cheesewiz]

Shoulda read Old Yeller.

[funny man]

Not only is the venom "still active" it can lead to

"talking

like

William

shatner

disease"....

assuming it doesn't kill ya...

[max]

Should have believed the snake when he said it was only a flesh wound.

[LeDud]

They cover this phenomonon-onon in RIPLEYS BELIEVE IT OR NOT books. Obviously an unread individual.

[ubetcha]

You just know alcohol was involved.

No doubt another "Hold my beer and watch this!" moment.

[O the Umanity]

Put any part of one's anatomy in the vicinity of a poisonous object ... definitely a "less than informed decision" ...

[mazar larry]

Geez, now the readers in Australia are going to think Alabama is full of dumb, homeless rednecks.

[Rich]

Decapitated Snake WBAGNFARB

[Omniskeptic]

As a certified non-herpetologist (that is, I'm certified not to have any credentials in herpetology whatsoever,) I have to say, I don't think that's a picture of Agkistrodon piscivorus. The coloration and patterning are wrong, compared to any pics I can find. Nor does it look like A. contortrix (the copperhead whose habitation range we debated a while back.)

Some adult A. piscivorus specimens and most juveniles are lighter in color, but their banding (which then shows up, like the one in the picture) is usually broad and irregular, not narrow and fairly regular as shown here. And for a snake that spends most of its time in the water (its name means fish-eater,) this wouldn't be much of an adaptive advantage. So my considered opinion is, the pic is of Agkistrodon stockphoto, a deadly and widespread reptile whose bite causes atrophy of the journalistic reputation.

That said, it was still dumb to get bitten that-a-way, Bubba. At least he didn't try to eat it.

[O the Umanity]

I wondered about that "scale/coloration" pattern ... really ... tnx ... fer confirmin' that "journalists" are often worng ...

[Coconuts]

I don't care what the damned snake looks like, I'm not going anywhere near one.

And I second "Dumb@ss".

[Indiana Jones]

I'll raise you to Double Dumb@ss, Coconuts.

Snakes. I hate snakes! Why'd it have to be snakes?

[Steve]

It looks like the average IQ in Alabama just...remained the same.
What the heck?

[Suzy Q (the original)]

Siouxie got a snake? Good for her!

[Meanie the Blue]

Lookit that, Hon! It's the head of a snake with the body of a man! And he sure can dance.

[Ralph]

Omniskeptic: The snake pictured is probably a Western Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) instead of an Eastern or Florida Cottonmouth. See Wikipedia and the picture here (scroll down).

According to Wikipedia, the cottonmouths in Alabama may be intergrade varieties; it wouldn't surprise me if it acquired some journalistic DNA in the process.

[Omniskeptic]

Ralph - could be. I still wonder what adaptive value that coloration would have, but what do I know?