Even as a kid, it was too cheesy to scare me! (Kind of the same genre as "The Giant Claw"..._
Posted on 02/21/2024 5:56:10 AM PST by Red Badger
The Jefferson County coroner has confirmed that a 34-year-old Colorado man died this month, days after being bitten by one of his two pet Gila monsters.
"I think this case highlights that any venomous animals should be respected," said Dr. Nick Brandehoff, a medical toxicologist and expert in reptile bites with the Asclepius Snakebite Foundation, who was consulted on the Lakewood Gila monster case.
Gila monsters are venomous reptiles found in the southwestern United States. While their bites can be painful, they are normally not fatal to humans. Experts say that the last report of a human dying from a Gila monster bite was in 1930.
"The vast majority of bites cause local swelling and bleeding," said Brandehoff, who said the bites can cause intense localized pain and can cause victims to pass out. But deaths are exceedingly rare.
"The last case I have been able to find," said Brandehoff, "was 1930 and that was not even a medical journal case."
According to several experts involved in the Lakewood case, the man -- who has not been identified -- owned two pet Gila monsters and was bitten by one of them on Feb. 12. It was a juvenile and about 12 inches long. The owner was hospitalized and died the Friday leading into the Presidents Day holiday weekend -- four days after the animal bit him.
The Jefferson County Coroner's Office confirmed the death, saying an autopsy was performed on the bite victim but the precise cause of death won't be known until additional toxicology testing is completed.
Eric Harper, a criminal investigator with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said CPW was asked to remove the Gila monsters from the home after the bite. He told CBS News Colorado it is illegal to own Gila monsters in Colorado without a license. Harper said the victim also owned tarantulas which are not illegal to own.
Harper said the Lakewood incident may be an anomaly, but it shows "venomous reptiles are hazardous and should only be handled or possessed by people with the proper training."
Harper and Brandehoff both said the reptile that bit its owner will be transported this week to a lab in Greeley at the University of Northern Colorado, where its venom will be extracted and studied to bring a greater understanding as to why its bite led to its owner's death.
Brandehoff said experts will "look at the venom components and see if there is some reason this might occur." He said while it's early in the investigation, he suspects the victim may have suffered some kind of allergic reaction to the Gila monster's venom.
The Lakewood Police Department says the two Gila monsters were removed from the victim's home and taken to a wildlife rehab center in another state.
Note to self: Don’t forget to renew Gila monster license.
Even as a kid, it was too cheesy to scare me! (Kind of the same genre as "The Giant Claw"..._
“A young, healthy Labrador Retriever is perfectly capable of killing people.”
But their mere presence does not present imminent death possibilities like venomous reptiles.
As Thomas Sowell says, being broad minded is good but not so broad minded that your brains fall out.
LOL, their tails, which can clear a coffee table of priceless artifacts in a single swipe, are far more effective weapons of battery!
Note to self: Buy epipen.
Sheesh, I knew that was a documentary, had aa relative in it!
Did you know that they used to think all racoons carried rabies ... because they had done a “study” ...the thing is ..
they only studied ones that they found flat in the road.
Science !
Did you know possums can't get rabies? ... I guess they just like to sleep in the road.
Live by the monster . . .
But why did the chicken CROSS the road?
Hands off my black mamba service snake!
Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?
A: I don’t answer questions. Am I being detained?
And my emotional support hyena.
“I hope you kept her!”
Going on 50 years ...
I don’t think I would have made it to 30 without her.
She really helped with my decision making.
I think I’ll ask her if I can get a gila monster ...
how many pets have the word monster in the name?
Wouldn’t that tell you something ?
“o ... and now she’s telling me I should get rid of my possum”.
Possums make great pets.
Normally I would be against a new wife making demands that you change stuff, but in this case I can see her point.
“why did the chicken CROSS the road?”
easy ..... she was looking for a fight
Ronda Persall died after being beat by a Lab’s tail.
From what I understand, the Komodo dragon IS venomous. Their venom takes several hours to kill. It prevents the blood clotting from the massive wounds they inflict, it lowers the blood pressure of victims and causes massive bleeding. Then the lizard just waits around for the victim to become weakened enough to consume. They have killed and eaten people, in addition to water buffalo, deer, horses, dogs--anything they can catch on their island.
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