Jack Redmond, venomous snake collector, dies from snake bite
A Virginia man found dead in his home, surrounded by 24 caged snakes, died of complications from a snakebite, the state’s medical examiner’s office concluded.
photo/Jolle
Chesterfield resident Jack Redmond, 70, was found dead with bite marks that appeared to be from a Chinese palm viper on a finger, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Friday.
While poisonous, that snake is not typically deadly, but experts said Redmond’s age and health — he was battling prostate cancer and taking medications for that — might have played a role.
His wife found him about 3 p.m. in the basement, where Redmond kept reptiles in professionally secured cages.
A spokesman said the well-cared-for reptiles will be placed in a zoological facility or private collection.
Authorities said Redmond violated a Chesterfield ordinance that prohibits the possession of venomous snakes and “wild and exotic animals.”
Kleopfer said Chinese palm vipers are not particularly lethal compared with other venomous snakes; he rated its lethality as a five on a scale of 10.
“Most bites do not result in death, but death has been recorded with this particular snake,” he said.
Other complications can arise.
“It’s not simply a black-and-white issue, whether you’re going to live or you’re going to die if you’re bit by the snake,” Kleopfer said. “A person’s age and their health — those are other factors that kind of come into play, along with the location of the bite.”
