A 25-year-old woman may have been killed by her pet snake, Virginia Beach authorities said Thursday. On Oct. 21, police got a call from the husband of 25-year-old Amanda Ruth Black . He found his wife dead in their bedroom in front of their pet's cage. The 13-foot-long reticulated tiger python was gone. Animal control officers who later arrived on the scene found the python, which they said was extremely agitated, in the bedroom. It took two officers to restrain it. Black was strangled to death, according to investigators' initial reports. They believe the python overpowered the victim as she was trying to give it some medicine. The snake was put in the custody of the Bureau of Animal Control. Police were still waiting for the results of a medical examiner's report in the investigation Thursday night.

It's always a shame when an animal keeper is killed and the animal gets blamed....a good word of caution to know your snakes and try not to be alone with the really big ones (or any ones that have the ability to kill you).

has any more informatiom came out on this? i read all about it the day it hit the internet but i havent seen any updated information. i still think the husband is in the some how and that theres some foul play around the accident.

#1 rule is never do anything with them alone.... it's a two person job. Even just filling the water dish, you gotta have your "spotter"

has any more informatiom came out on this? i read all about it the day it hit the internet but i havent seen any updated information. i still think the husband is in the some how and that theres some foul play around the accident.

I haven't heard anything, which makes you wonder....

It's always a shame when an animal keeper is killed and the animal gets blamed....a good word of caution to know your snakes and try not to be alone with the really big ones (or any ones that have the ability to kill you).
I totally agree and things like this make snakes look bad and NOT their fault like you said

has any more informatiom came out on this? i read all about it the day it hit the internet but i havent seen any updated information. i still think the husband is in the some how and that theres some foul play around the accident.
I just tried to find out more but no luck as yet

xanax-
That's just twisted, man, and I hope it's not true. We already have enough trouble without some weird CSI #*(&#it!

I just looked too,and all they're saying is that she was asphyxiated.

When I posted my opinion on another forum, I had lots of people tell me I was wrong but... I will say it again anyways...

This was a completely avoidable death. There's no reason she couldn't have waited to give the snake the injection after her husband got home. I agree with the 10 foot/ have back up rule. Even if you're just changing the water like somebody else said. Let alone giving it an injection which would piss any snake off. Common sense, people!

just another case of stupid ownership and this can happen with large dogs as well as any exotic pet. truth is ownership means responsibility. If you do stupid things with certain pets you can get killed. be responsible adults and pet owners. and to think some of these idiots have kids.

I am very up front and sometimes callous with my views. in this case it culd have been avoided.

Very sad story here.

This was Jeff Ronnies response over on KS. I'm sure he won't mind me posting it here.

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Posted by: boaphile at Thu Oct 23 18:15:34 2008

I just wish more people would consider the fact that no matter how tame you think an animal of this size is, never ever take chances and do anything with a 13' Retic without an experienced helper close by. 13' is not a large animal at all when considering Retics. I would have thought this nearly impossible, but obviously it was. My heart goes out to this lady's family.

Don't get all excited and bent out of shape that the reporter or the coroner didn't get every fact right. Maybe the length is wrong. It was a Retic, not a Boa. Those things matter not a whit. What matters is a young woman's life has ended. The exact length or species of animal does not matter to the public. Fear drives peoples response to this. Not facts.

The fact is that many people are killed each year by horses. However nobody is going to scream to outlaw horses. Horses are not the subject of the fear that snakes are.

This is just more evidence that nobody should ever ever ever ever, no matter how "puppy dog tame", ever ever ever ever allow a vulnerable person to get anywhere near any Reptile that is even remotely close to this size. It infuriates me when I see tons of people, who know better, allowing small kids around giant Retics or Burms as if it is impossible that the animal with a brain the size a pea might make a mistake one day and grab someone while doing a herp talk somewhere. This is the kind of thing that could mean the end of our passion. Please take any Reptile over 10' long very seriously and never ever do a public hands on display with anything this large. Puppy dog tame but dumb as a rock can be a recipe for someone's being in a life threatening situation. If that practice does not stop, it's only a matter of time before some 6 year old kid is grabbed and wrapped in seconds and the one, all alone handler, is doing everything he can to reverse what has happened and that child will be dead. Retics and Burms are strong enough to kill small prey in a matter of less than a minute. This is because they can actually stop the heart from beating if they get just the right wrap.

I have fed, in years past, many a Rabbit to a Burm and seen the Burm relax it's grip in just over a minute due to the Rabbit dying not from affixation, but from shock when the squeeze was so tight it stopped the heart. That is reality and we all know how quickly a large animal can wrap. Oh, some with say they have a special understanding of their Retics body language. "I know what my Retic is thinking". Your Retic isn't thinking anything. It's brain is too tiny to think. It reacts instinctively. Some day, some small child who has a pet rat at home and doesn't wash his hands well is going to sit in on the wrong Herp talk and that Retic is going to get an instant sniff of food, and that's going to be it. That is going to be the end of our hobby period not to mention the very real danger those kids are absolutely in.
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Thnaks for that Larry

Very informative

I agree with Jeff, to a point. The length of the snake is irrelevant, the keeper's death is. However, it seems that this is also a perfect example of why the public needs to be informed by responsible herp keepers-like the ones at this forum. And, in a safe and controlled environment, children and adults alike need to be exposed to snakes. Exposure in this way can inform as well as reduce fear. Everyone is always exposed to the Animal Planet/Discovery daredevils who handle hot and non-hot herps w/the same BS disclaimer about 'not trying this at home' while they wink and make it look easy. This is our opportunity to show that our hobby demands discipline and knowledge and that we don't just involve ourselves for a stupid thrill. Many of us are just as experienced, intelligent, and informed about the animals we keep as any PhD-we just don't have the paper to whip out and prove it. Well, here's our chance.

This is a very sad story for the girl and her family, as well as for the animal involved. No doubt the animal has not been returned to it's owner, and public outcry might even cause it to be destroyed. Just sad all the way around :(

Larry, that was a great post. Thanks for bringin' it in.

Quig

Larry, that was a great post. Thanks for bringin' it in.

Quig

I agree completely. Thanks.

Great post Larry Thanks for sharing it here =)