Long Island Man Bitten By Pet Diamondback Rattlesnake
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Long Island man is hospitalized after being bitten on the eyelid by his pet Diamondback rattlesnake.
The 22-year-old Manorville man will spend the next week recovering in the hospital and will likely suffer permanent facial damage, said Roy Gross, Chief of the Suffolk County SPCA.
The two-foot Diamondback and another rattlesnake owned by the victim have been taken to a reptile sanctuary.
Gross said it's illegal to own venomous reptiles and they don't make good pets.
"They're very, very dangerous, they're unpredictable, and deadly. What can I say other than that?" Gross told WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs. "Stick to your little furry animals, you know, your dogs and your cats. I mean, I can't imagine anybody sitting watching TV with a rattlesnake curled up on their lap. I mean, it just doesn't make sense."
Gross is reminding residents that the county hosts "amnesty days" at least once a year so residents can turn in wild and exotic animals.