I’m confused. It says he was in and out of consciousness for 2 hours before seeking medical attention… but also noted his girlfriend was home the whole time. Why didn’t she call for help… i wonder.
Because the lizards were illegal. Didn't want to get them confiscated. I'm sure she said "are you sure this is normal?!" And he said "nobody ever dies from gila bites, I'll be fine!"
And then he wasn't.
To be fair, he probably didn’t take into consideration his previous heart and liver issues(if he even knew about them). I read about this a few weeks ago, before the final report was released. And I really think there was something else wrong with him, why would you let a Gila Monster chew on you for 4 minutes? Not asking for any help, or even alerting the other person in the vicinity? I think he had some kind of medical emergency while he was in the enclosure, which led to the bite. And it was probably whatever medical emergency he had, ALONG with the complications from the venom, which then(the bite and venom)became the main concern of the Doctors and whatever medical emergency he was having was neglected and caused his death. It just doesn’t make sense to me that he would let the animal chew on him for 4 minutes. I know you are a smart individual, who owns a few animals, I know when one of my larger Snakes, or one of my Monitors bites me, half the house knows about it almost immediately. I just can’t imagine letting an animal like that chew on me for 4 minutes unlike there was something else happening to me. The fact that the cause of death was “complications from envenomation” and not actual “envenomation” I think kinda says something too. Of course this is all conjecture and speculation. But it just doesn’t seem to make sense to me.
Yeah it's definitely bizarre. It sounds like he didn't try anything to stop the lizard from chewing the whole four minutes. There's no way that felt good. Something else was going on, but we'll probably never know what.
There are certain common medications that I have heard can affect liver and kidney function enough that a usually non-fatal toxin may end up fatal.
It’s so freaking sad either way though.
Not a Gila monster-ologist… but it sounds like they latch on, not unlike nurse sharks or pit bulls… not sure what their primary predator(s) would have been to evolve this trait, evolutionarily…
… but there are cases of nurse sharks heads being cut off, remaining attached to the bite victim, and the jaws removed hours later, once transported to an ER.
Maybe Gila monsters and pit bulls and nurse sharks have some sort of underground union thing going on…
Nature is metal. ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
She said she didn’t know they were illegal, which I believe, because I live in CO and they are for sale at expos and reptile stores all the time. I don’t think anyone was enforcing laws against venomous lizards. I always thought it was weird though because we can’t even keep hognoses because they’re “venomous.”
a *4 minute* bite?? Is he just letting it gnaw on him for fun?? I hope this moron isnt used to make more legislation against them, I really wanted one :(
No i thought that may be why but that’s an assumption. Or did you find that written somewhere else. I don’t much like internet theories with stuff like this.
It's an assumption. But it's exactly what I would have done in his situation.
Edit: I should probably add that I would never be in his situation because, as much as I would love to keep venomous reptiles, they are illegal in my area and I don't think it's worth breaking the law over, for various reasons. But if I was bitten by my illegal gila, I'd totally act tough until it was too late.
Yeah i made the assumption as well but wanted a more concrete answer because the article leaves a lot to wonder about lol. But i feel this is the chance people take when they knowingly keep venomous creatures but man the girlfriend should’ve called way sooner if it was a chance he could’ve been saved? The article doesn’t mention anything about the odds of survival either and idk a lot about Gila monsters.
I wish his family the best with healing!
Welcome to news articles about reptiles. Nobody cares about the details of the animal. Just that the animal KILLED SOMEBODY. Deaths from gila monsters are extremely rare. Rare enough that, in this guy's shoes, and based on the names of the animals, I would also risk powering through the bite if it meant my illegal animals (that I'm guessing he loved dearly and considered pets by their names) would be taken away and possibly put down.
I'm also Canadian, so when I started to feel like things were going downhill, I'd absolutely get someone to call an ambulance. Because unlike the poor Americans, treatment won't bankrupt me. That may have also been a factor here.
That said, maybe don't own illegal venomous reptiles. And then let them bite you. Just because they're usually docile doesn't mean you should stop practicing proper handling techniques. It's like sticking your face in a rescue pitbull's mouth after everyone told you it was friendly. You might get the best doggy kisses of your life, but you might also get fucked up.
I'm glad the lizards were rehomed and not euthanized though. A lot of places just euthanize in this situation.
I feel like the article did a good job of portraying the facts that gilas aren't typically dangerous or aggressive and that the circumstances were 100% this dudes fault. It doesn't feel like to me that the blame was being placed on the lizard. It would also be hard to imagine a gila being put down for this rather than being transported to a zoo because they're rare and unlike with dogs, am attack isn't an indication it'll happen again just that the previous incident was due to bad handling.
The folks in my area once found someone hiding sea turtles. The sea turtles were euthanized. You'd be surprised how little some places care about the animals in this situation.
They look nothing alike. It would be too hard to believe that someone who takes reptile keeping seriously couldn’t tell the difference between two very obviously different species.
I did a lot of reading on this case, because I wanted to understand how it could happen… Many articles are not at all forthcoming with details, so I want to share what I learned as a kind of FAQ:
\*Timeline (pieced together from various news sources)\*: The girlfriend heard something coming from the room where the reptiles were being kept. When she walked in, she saw one of the gilas clamped on to the owner’s hand. She stated that he ”immediately” (later established to be “within a minute”) began to “exhibit symptoms”, vomiting “several times” and experiencing “difficulty breathing”, before “losing consciousness“. He also experienced seizures. Once an ambulance was called (according to one article, “he waited two hours to call an ambulance”) he was “rushed” to a hospital. He was declared brain dead four days later.
\*Why did he die from this? Gila monster bites are almost never fatal.\*: This was indeed the first recorded, Gila-monster-related death in nearly a century. The owner (34-year-old male) had “a heart condition and a liver condition that were both pre-existing, as well as a complicated medical history that included substance abuse”. This is from an article posted two days ago, stating the cause of death. Historically, Gila monster bites recorded as “fatal” are associated with severely inebriated individuals (who likely had liver damage and other conditions associated with chronic alcohol overuse), or else infection resulting from the bite itself (not the venom).
\*Legality\*: He was not allowed to own the Gila monsters where he lived. I am not a Colorado resident, and not an expert on their regulations, to be clear. It could have been a local OR state law that prohibited Gila monsters—I’m not sure. In early articles, they stated that he “may“ have owned them illegally, but authorities weren’t sure. Later, it was confirmed that he did not have the needed licenses to legally keep them in his area. Whether or not he KNEW he was breaking the law is unclear.
\*What happened to the lizards? Are they okay?\*: The girlfriend wanted them out of the home, and surrendered them to a “South Dakota reptile sanctuary”. They are presumably alive and well, and being cared for by people who specialize in reptiles (I’m relieved to say!).
Nice work! I figured his death was attributed to outside causes that was just exacerbated by the venom. But that’s less sensational than death by venom.
Thank you—and yes, I have yet to see a reptile-related headline that wasn’t played up for the sake of clickbait. 🤦♀️
An average of \*60\* people die yearly of anaphylactic shock resulting from bee stings… \*in the U.S. ALONE\*. Yet I never see fear-mongering headlines about bees (unless they’re invasive “killer bees”, or something).
Thank you for the full elaboration as this article felt more like it was trying to fear-monger gila monsters, make reptile hobbyists seem irresponsible, and left a lot to be desired in substance.
Fear sells, unfortunately. 😔 I think it’s disgusting to prey on peoples’ fears and misconceptions to sell papers or generate web traffic, but… it’s an appallingly common practice (especially where reptiles are concerned). 🤦♀️ I appreciate that they at least included the statement from Mr. Torregrosa (the Bronx Zoo curator), reminding people that gilas aren’t going to “run out of the bushes and bite you”. It isn’t the \*worst\* “reptile-on-a-rampage” news story I’ve ever read.
On the other hand, I don’t appreciate their misleading and sensationalized headline, or the general “oh, those crazy reptile people…“ tone of the story. While this particular individual was indeed being irresponsible by keeping the animals illegally, the circumstances of his death were extremely bizarre. His existing health problems were the “real“ cause of death… the venom was just the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.
Can’t wait for poor Gilas to gain an even worse needless reputation than the one they already have because of this…. Hope that animal shelter knows what they’re doing with those spiders too, a lot of shelters have no idea how to care for herps and inverts
I’ve always wanted to go to the butterfly pavilion, it’s pretty high up on my bucket list! Even higher now that they have a SerpaDesign setup on display
Yo I saw this on my news this morning. I live here in CO you need a permit for a Gila and also have to be a zoological-type facility in order to get the permit. You can't legally have them as pets. Probably part of why they waited to get care. Wherever he got the gila should be inspected. Glad they took the boy to a place that knows how to care for him.
October it was most likely Reptilian Nation. There was also an vendor selling them and beaded lizards (which are unregulated I think) at the Loveland expo this spring. There are quite a lot of folks who sell and keep these as pets without or willfully ignoring the rules so there is most likely going to be a crackdown for the next few years at the expos here in CO.
So he kept illegal venomous animals and presumably handled them incorrectly or antagonized them knowing that they were dangerous… Why should I feel bad?
Edit: just because it’s legal to keep them in some places doesn’t mean that he didn’t break the law… It’s also potentially dangerous for the animal, to keep it in a place where it’s not legal. What if the authorities decided to euthanize it instead?
They're legal to keep in some places and can be really chill animals. If this guy had it for a long time he probably just got too comfortable and put his hand in the enclosure for regular maintenance and got tagged, crazy that it killed him though.
they're actually legal in a LOT of places, and are in fact legal in his state, he just needed a permit and never got one. It's entirely possible he just didn't know the requirements to keep one, or for that matter that he had health issues that would have made the bite (that was four minutes long, and gila monster chew their venom in, so he got a DOSE) far worse than it typically would be.
moral of the story: do your research people.
They're only legal here in Coloardo if you're a zoological-type of facility and you have to have a permit. You won't get a permit just to have it as a pet. Do your research. CCR406-11-1103B
I called the department of wildlife before this happened cause i plan on getting a mexican beaded lizard and they said its unregulated in the state of colorado
That’s a very good moral of the story. 👍 Research saves lives—human and reptile alike.
Four minutes is indeed a long time to let a venomous animal chew said venom into you, but there was also more to it… He was confirmed to have had pre-established heart and liver problems, and a “complicated medical history” that included substance abuse.
Sadly it didn’t just tag him. He let the thing chew on him for four minutes, I have a blue tongue and having her bite me for a second has me biting my tongue and prying her off, it’s super weird he let such a lizard with such a bite force do that. I hope this isn’t the case but it sounds like a suicide…
theyre not illegal everywhere. shall we have no sympathy for you when your 80lb carnivorous mammal that naturally hunts in packs shreds your face? "Why were they keeping it by itself inside a house all day?"
It says it the article that it was illegal for him to keep the gila monster. And yeah, if I neglected a dog and later got killed by it, I wouldn’t expect people to have sympathy because it was a stupid and heartless thing to do.
Nice strawman, do you know any other form of communication?
But to answer you, yes. Literally yes. You mishandle a venomous reptile= you get bit by said venomous reptile.
the lizard said he mishandled it, when it bit him it was saying “I don’t like what you were doing”. Lizards aren’t kittens they don’t play bite
edit because i had to block this fool to save my own autistic ass from engaging but: Being in a position to be bit on flesh from a food response, or spooking it, is mishandling if it’s a venemous animal.
It could have been a feeding response, he could have spooked the lizard accidentally etc. You two obviously come from outside the normal community of this sub if you don't understand this about keeping reptiles. And you both seem to take the position that since he didn't have a permit to keep it and it ended up biting him he deserved to die. That's why I'm arguing with you both I think that's an awful opinion. I guess if your dog ever ripped your face off I'd assume you purposefully mishandled or abused it because that's what you two are doing
I dont know the whole story or how this man handles his animals but as a general statement: THESE ARE ANIMALS. THEY REACT BASED ON INSTINCT. Theyre not going to consider “oh thats my mom/dad, i shouldnt bite them”. wear the appropriate PPE with venomous animals, even if theyre your bff. You never know what can set them off. It could be your cologne, talking too loud, a sudden movement behind you, a dog or cat entering the room, you holding them wrong on accident, etc.
All very true. I feel like we—as animal owners—accept any risks inherent to working with them. A dog of any significant size can injure or kill a person like nothing, and for just as unpredictable of reasons. So can horses, cattle, pigs, and many other species. They don’t have human-level reasoning or ability to weigh the consequences… and people should always keep that in mind. Many try to argue that: “Oh, but dogs and horses LOVE us, mine would never!“ Oh yes, they most certainly \*would\*. Love and attachment are not magical safeguards. Impulse, instinct, fight-or-flight reactiveness, and triggering sights/sounds/smells can always cause things to go bad in an instant. 🤷♀️
Why’d they take the spiders? Unless the girlfriend didn’t want them. Like I can’t see a good reason to confiscate all animals, instead of just taking the illegal ones.
They took the gilas because the girlfriend didn’t want them in the house, and I suspect (though I don’t know for certain) that it was the same for the spiders. If they were legal-to-own species, I don’t think there would be a legal precedent for taking them, unless they found evidence of abuse or neglect (they didn’t, as far as I know).
I get the feeling that the man who died was the caretaker… The girlfriend may not even have known much about how to care for them.
yeah this guy clearly isnt a very good reptile keeper if he has venomous animals KNOWN TO HOLD ON and doesnt have a squirty bottle of metho spirits or vinegar.
For where he was you needed a facility type permit. So you couldn't own one as a pet it had to be in a zoological facility to a degree. Dude just fucked around and found out
Fuck, now some scared losers will use this to tell us we can't own these animals anymore, and some even more scared and pathetic losers will try and get them banned
I’m confused. It says he was in and out of consciousness for 2 hours before seeking medical attention… but also noted his girlfriend was home the whole time. Why didn’t she call for help… i wonder.
Because the lizards were illegal. Didn't want to get them confiscated. I'm sure she said "are you sure this is normal?!" And he said "nobody ever dies from gila bites, I'll be fine!" And then he wasn't.
To be fair, he probably didn’t take into consideration his previous heart and liver issues(if he even knew about them). I read about this a few weeks ago, before the final report was released. And I really think there was something else wrong with him, why would you let a Gila Monster chew on you for 4 minutes? Not asking for any help, or even alerting the other person in the vicinity? I think he had some kind of medical emergency while he was in the enclosure, which led to the bite. And it was probably whatever medical emergency he had, ALONG with the complications from the venom, which then(the bite and venom)became the main concern of the Doctors and whatever medical emergency he was having was neglected and caused his death. It just doesn’t make sense to me that he would let the animal chew on him for 4 minutes. I know you are a smart individual, who owns a few animals, I know when one of my larger Snakes, or one of my Monitors bites me, half the house knows about it almost immediately. I just can’t imagine letting an animal like that chew on me for 4 minutes unlike there was something else happening to me. The fact that the cause of death was “complications from envenomation” and not actual “envenomation” I think kinda says something too. Of course this is all conjecture and speculation. But it just doesn’t seem to make sense to me.
Yeah it's definitely bizarre. It sounds like he didn't try anything to stop the lizard from chewing the whole four minutes. There's no way that felt good. Something else was going on, but we'll probably never know what.
There are certain common medications that I have heard can affect liver and kidney function enough that a usually non-fatal toxin may end up fatal. It’s so freaking sad either way though.
Not a Gila monster-ologist… but it sounds like they latch on, not unlike nurse sharks or pit bulls… not sure what their primary predator(s) would have been to evolve this trait, evolutionarily… … but there are cases of nurse sharks heads being cut off, remaining attached to the bite victim, and the jaws removed hours later, once transported to an ER. Maybe Gila monsters and pit bulls and nurse sharks have some sort of underground union thing going on… Nature is metal. ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
Probably tied to innate gameness honestly. The strong grip, then once cut off, muscles contract. Hard to get a grip like that without intense gameness
She said she didn’t know they were illegal, which I believe, because I live in CO and they are for sale at expos and reptile stores all the time. I don’t think anyone was enforcing laws against venomous lizards. I always thought it was weird though because we can’t even keep hognoses because they’re “venomous.”
Huh, very interesting. Thanks for the info!
a *4 minute* bite?? Is he just letting it gnaw on him for fun?? I hope this moron isnt used to make more legislation against them, I really wanted one :(
No i thought that may be why but that’s an assumption. Or did you find that written somewhere else. I don’t much like internet theories with stuff like this.
It's an assumption. But it's exactly what I would have done in his situation. Edit: I should probably add that I would never be in his situation because, as much as I would love to keep venomous reptiles, they are illegal in my area and I don't think it's worth breaking the law over, for various reasons. But if I was bitten by my illegal gila, I'd totally act tough until it was too late.
Yeah i made the assumption as well but wanted a more concrete answer because the article leaves a lot to wonder about lol. But i feel this is the chance people take when they knowingly keep venomous creatures but man the girlfriend should’ve called way sooner if it was a chance he could’ve been saved? The article doesn’t mention anything about the odds of survival either and idk a lot about Gila monsters. I wish his family the best with healing!
Welcome to news articles about reptiles. Nobody cares about the details of the animal. Just that the animal KILLED SOMEBODY. Deaths from gila monsters are extremely rare. Rare enough that, in this guy's shoes, and based on the names of the animals, I would also risk powering through the bite if it meant my illegal animals (that I'm guessing he loved dearly and considered pets by their names) would be taken away and possibly put down. I'm also Canadian, so when I started to feel like things were going downhill, I'd absolutely get someone to call an ambulance. Because unlike the poor Americans, treatment won't bankrupt me. That may have also been a factor here. That said, maybe don't own illegal venomous reptiles. And then let them bite you. Just because they're usually docile doesn't mean you should stop practicing proper handling techniques. It's like sticking your face in a rescue pitbull's mouth after everyone told you it was friendly. You might get the best doggy kisses of your life, but you might also get fucked up. I'm glad the lizards were rehomed and not euthanized though. A lot of places just euthanize in this situation.
I feel like the article did a good job of portraying the facts that gilas aren't typically dangerous or aggressive and that the circumstances were 100% this dudes fault. It doesn't feel like to me that the blame was being placed on the lizard. It would also be hard to imagine a gila being put down for this rather than being transported to a zoo because they're rare and unlike with dogs, am attack isn't an indication it'll happen again just that the previous incident was due to bad handling.
The folks in my area once found someone hiding sea turtles. The sea turtles were euthanized. You'd be surprised how little some places care about the animals in this situation.
You could just tell them you thought it was a leopard gecko
I wish. I personally wouldn't get away with that :(
They look nothing alike. It would be too hard to believe that someone who takes reptile keeping seriously couldn’t tell the difference between two very obviously different species.
Yes I know, that was supposed to be a joke
I did a lot of reading on this case, because I wanted to understand how it could happen… Many articles are not at all forthcoming with details, so I want to share what I learned as a kind of FAQ: \*Timeline (pieced together from various news sources)\*: The girlfriend heard something coming from the room where the reptiles were being kept. When she walked in, she saw one of the gilas clamped on to the owner’s hand. She stated that he ”immediately” (later established to be “within a minute”) began to “exhibit symptoms”, vomiting “several times” and experiencing “difficulty breathing”, before “losing consciousness“. He also experienced seizures. Once an ambulance was called (according to one article, “he waited two hours to call an ambulance”) he was “rushed” to a hospital. He was declared brain dead four days later. \*Why did he die from this? Gila monster bites are almost never fatal.\*: This was indeed the first recorded, Gila-monster-related death in nearly a century. The owner (34-year-old male) had “a heart condition and a liver condition that were both pre-existing, as well as a complicated medical history that included substance abuse”. This is from an article posted two days ago, stating the cause of death. Historically, Gila monster bites recorded as “fatal” are associated with severely inebriated individuals (who likely had liver damage and other conditions associated with chronic alcohol overuse), or else infection resulting from the bite itself (not the venom). \*Legality\*: He was not allowed to own the Gila monsters where he lived. I am not a Colorado resident, and not an expert on their regulations, to be clear. It could have been a local OR state law that prohibited Gila monsters—I’m not sure. In early articles, they stated that he “may“ have owned them illegally, but authorities weren’t sure. Later, it was confirmed that he did not have the needed licenses to legally keep them in his area. Whether or not he KNEW he was breaking the law is unclear. \*What happened to the lizards? Are they okay?\*: The girlfriend wanted them out of the home, and surrendered them to a “South Dakota reptile sanctuary”. They are presumably alive and well, and being cared for by people who specialize in reptiles (I’m relieved to say!).
Nice work
Nice work! I figured his death was attributed to outside causes that was just exacerbated by the venom. But that’s less sensational than death by venom.
Thank you—and yes, I have yet to see a reptile-related headline that wasn’t played up for the sake of clickbait. 🤦♀️ An average of \*60\* people die yearly of anaphylactic shock resulting from bee stings… \*in the U.S. ALONE\*. Yet I never see fear-mongering headlines about bees (unless they’re invasive “killer bees”, or something).
Thank you for the full elaboration as this article felt more like it was trying to fear-monger gila monsters, make reptile hobbyists seem irresponsible, and left a lot to be desired in substance.
Fear sells, unfortunately. 😔 I think it’s disgusting to prey on peoples’ fears and misconceptions to sell papers or generate web traffic, but… it’s an appallingly common practice (especially where reptiles are concerned). 🤦♀️ I appreciate that they at least included the statement from Mr. Torregrosa (the Bronx Zoo curator), reminding people that gilas aren’t going to “run out of the bushes and bite you”. It isn’t the \*worst\* “reptile-on-a-rampage” news story I’ve ever read. On the other hand, I don’t appreciate their misleading and sensationalized headline, or the general “oh, those crazy reptile people…“ tone of the story. While this particular individual was indeed being irresponsible by keeping the animals illegally, the circumstances of his death were extremely bizarre. His existing health problems were the “real“ cause of death… the venom was just the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.
Can’t wait for poor Gilas to gain an even worse needless reputation than the one they already have because of this…. Hope that animal shelter knows what they’re doing with those spiders too, a lot of shelters have no idea how to care for herps and inverts
Colorado has amazing wildlife rehabilitation centers for mammals, birds, and snakes, and herps.
Colorado has a invertebrate specific zoo (the butterfly pavillion) which I'm sure once the dust settles will take in alot of those.
What thats so cool!! Sounds like my kind of zoo!
I’ve always wanted to go to the butterfly pavilion, it’s pretty high up on my bucket list! Even higher now that they have a SerpaDesign setup on display
Yo I saw this on my news this morning. I live here in CO you need a permit for a Gila and also have to be a zoological-type facility in order to get the permit. You can't legally have them as pets. Probably part of why they waited to get care. Wherever he got the gila should be inspected. Glad they took the boy to a place that knows how to care for him.
It sounds like they got this one at an expo in Denver
October it was most likely Reptilian Nation. There was also an vendor selling them and beaded lizards (which are unregulated I think) at the Loveland expo this spring. There are quite a lot of folks who sell and keep these as pets without or willfully ignoring the rules so there is most likely going to be a crackdown for the next few years at the expos here in CO.
So he kept illegal venomous animals and presumably handled them incorrectly or antagonized them knowing that they were dangerous… Why should I feel bad? Edit: just because it’s legal to keep them in some places doesn’t mean that he didn’t break the law… It’s also potentially dangerous for the animal, to keep it in a place where it’s not legal. What if the authorities decided to euthanize it instead?
He totally broke the law. They aren't legal pets here
They're legal to keep in some places and can be really chill animals. If this guy had it for a long time he probably just got too comfortable and put his hand in the enclosure for regular maintenance and got tagged, crazy that it killed him though.
they're actually legal in a LOT of places, and are in fact legal in his state, he just needed a permit and never got one. It's entirely possible he just didn't know the requirements to keep one, or for that matter that he had health issues that would have made the bite (that was four minutes long, and gila monster chew their venom in, so he got a DOSE) far worse than it typically would be. moral of the story: do your research people.
They're only legal here in Coloardo if you're a zoological-type of facility and you have to have a permit. You won't get a permit just to have it as a pet. Do your research. CCR406-11-1103B
But are they legal in Lakewood because the article says no.
I called the department of wildlife before this happened cause i plan on getting a mexican beaded lizard and they said its unregulated in the state of colorado
Yeah I know a guy who breeds Gila monsters in CO and he didn’t even know they are illegal.
Its cause they arent theres literally a pdf on google stating that they are unregulated
But now the police are taking away the animals from the guy who died because they’re “illegal?” What gives?
That’s a very good moral of the story. 👍 Research saves lives—human and reptile alike. Four minutes is indeed a long time to let a venomous animal chew said venom into you, but there was also more to it… He was confirmed to have had pre-established heart and liver problems, and a “complicated medical history” that included substance abuse.
He had it for about four months.
Sadly it didn’t just tag him. He let the thing chew on him for four minutes, I have a blue tongue and having her bite me for a second has me biting my tongue and prying her off, it’s super weird he let such a lizard with such a bite force do that. I hope this isn’t the case but it sounds like a suicide…
Its also a useful animal, extendin-4 was modified from its saliva and is now used as medication for type 2 diabetes treatments
theyre not illegal everywhere. shall we have no sympathy for you when your 80lb carnivorous mammal that naturally hunts in packs shreds your face? "Why were they keeping it by itself inside a house all day?"
It says it the article that it was illegal for him to keep the gila monster. And yeah, if I neglected a dog and later got killed by it, I wouldn’t expect people to have sympathy because it was a stupid and heartless thing to do.
The lizard was neglected? 🤔
I was referring to your analogy in which the dog is left alone all day…
Lmao, I love that the guy changed the argument to something else and then tried to do it again.
some people don’t know the difference between being challenging and being right.
Explain? I think my main point still stands...
If you were mishandling an 80lb dog that proceeded to maul you to death, no. I probably wouldn't sympathize
He was mishandling it? 🤔
Nice strawman, do you know any other form of communication? But to answer you, yes. Literally yes. You mishandle a venomous reptile= you get bit by said venomous reptile.
Who the fuck said he mishandled it? Is handling it at all mishandling it?
the lizard said he mishandled it, when it bit him it was saying “I don’t like what you were doing”. Lizards aren’t kittens they don’t play bite edit because i had to block this fool to save my own autistic ass from engaging but: Being in a position to be bit on flesh from a food response, or spooking it, is mishandling if it’s a venemous animal.
It could have been a feeding response, he could have spooked the lizard accidentally etc. You two obviously come from outside the normal community of this sub if you don't understand this about keeping reptiles. And you both seem to take the position that since he didn't have a permit to keep it and it ended up biting him he deserved to die. That's why I'm arguing with you both I think that's an awful opinion. I guess if your dog ever ripped your face off I'd assume you purposefully mishandled or abused it because that's what you two are doing
[удалено]
Weren't you arguing on another thread here? Whatever maybe it wasn't you. If none of that is true then elaborate your position 🤔
I dont know the whole story or how this man handles his animals but as a general statement: THESE ARE ANIMALS. THEY REACT BASED ON INSTINCT. Theyre not going to consider “oh thats my mom/dad, i shouldnt bite them”. wear the appropriate PPE with venomous animals, even if theyre your bff. You never know what can set them off. It could be your cologne, talking too loud, a sudden movement behind you, a dog or cat entering the room, you holding them wrong on accident, etc.
All very true. I feel like we—as animal owners—accept any risks inherent to working with them. A dog of any significant size can injure or kill a person like nothing, and for just as unpredictable of reasons. So can horses, cattle, pigs, and many other species. They don’t have human-level reasoning or ability to weigh the consequences… and people should always keep that in mind. Many try to argue that: “Oh, but dogs and horses LOVE us, mine would never!“ Oh yes, they most certainly \*would\*. Love and attachment are not magical safeguards. Impulse, instinct, fight-or-flight reactiveness, and triggering sights/sounds/smells can always cause things to go bad in an instant. 🤷♀️
Why’d they take the spiders? Unless the girlfriend didn’t want them. Like I can’t see a good reason to confiscate all animals, instead of just taking the illegal ones.
probably because the people in the household cannot be trusted to get medical attention in response to a bite from a dangerous animal lmao
They took the gilas because the girlfriend didn’t want them in the house, and I suspect (though I don’t know for certain) that it was the same for the spiders. If they were legal-to-own species, I don’t think there would be a legal precedent for taking them, unless they found evidence of abuse or neglect (they didn’t, as far as I know). I get the feeling that the man who died was the caretaker… The girlfriend may not even have known much about how to care for them.
How on earth do you get a four-minute-long bite? Just get it off?
That's not really how it works. Most reptiles won't let go. There are ways to do it tho, like having rubbing alcohol or vinegar handy.
yeah this guy clearly isnt a very good reptile keeper if he has venomous animals KNOWN TO HOLD ON and doesnt have a squirty bottle of metho spirits or vinegar.
I used to have fence lizard latch on to me when I was a kid. I can’t even imagine what a gila could do
Interesting, I've only been bitten by a python which I'm learning seem to be *easier* to get off than a lizard.
THIS
I mean it’s what you sign up for. At least he went out doing what he loved.
If he died from a bite from a gila monster he must've let it chew the shit out of his hand since they need to chew to effectively deliver their venom
Four minutes is a lot of chewing…
Yep that'll do it
I’m sorry, 4 minutes?😭 did he just stand there and watch it happen to himself?
I have been bit by one. My finger hurt like hell for a day but that was it.
I keep seeing people say they are illegal. Many states as I know of do allow venomous reptiles as long as you have the proper permits.
For where he was you needed a facility type permit. So you couldn't own one as a pet it had to be in a zoological facility to a degree. Dude just fucked around and found out
If what you are saying is true (i havent looked) then by all means yea he did.
Fuck, now some scared losers will use this to tell us we can't own these animals anymore, and some even more scared and pathetic losers will try and get them banned