Man tries selling venomous creature on Craigslist — and now must pay a fine, MD cops say
A small, scaly creature with a potentially deadly bite was advertised for sale on Craigslist, authorities in Maryland said.
The man who tried selling the venomous viper is now facing a $1,000 fine — and charges, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Natural Resource Police.
His Craigslist posting, offering to sell a West African bush viper, caught the attention of law enforcement, police announced in a May 30 news release on Facebook.
There is no antivenom for this particular species of snake.
The 36-year-old, of Hagerstown, met with officers who “arranged to purchase” the male snake on May 27, police said. The snake was kept in what appeared to be a taped food container, a photo shows.
When ”the sale” was complete, officers arrested him and charged him with attempting to sell the reptile, according to the release.
It’s against Maryland law to sell or possess venomous snakes.
West African bush vipers live in rainforests in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a report published in August in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science.
Cases of people in the U.S. coming into contact with the viper’s venom are rare, the report says.
The toxin in the viper’s bite can result in severe blood clots, pain, swelling, kidney failure and a “potentially life-threatening hemorrhage,” according to the report.
Ultimately, the viper the man tried selling was seized and is in need of a permanent home, police said. In the meantime, it will stay at the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve in Thurmont.
As of May 30, an initial court date for the man wasn’t scheduled, according to authorities.
McClatchy News contacted police on June 2 for an update on the snake and the man’s court appearance and was awaiting a response.
Hagerstown is about 75 miles northwest of Baltimore.
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