South Carolina man reports snake bite, rescue team finds 14 poisonous snakes in his house

FLORENCE, SC – If you’re afraid of snakes, read no further.

Florence Emergency Services responded to a 911 call from a man reporting a snake bite and found over a dozen venomous snakes in a residence on Marion Street in Florence.

It all started around 2 a.m. on Friday, September 6, when Jeffery Leibowitz contacted emergency services to report that he had been bitten by a snake. He did not immediately tell responders that the snake was venomous or that there were other venomous snakes in the house.

At around 9:00 a.m., EMS contacted the Florence Police Department (FPD) after determining that Leibowitz had been bitten by an inland taipan, an extremely venomous snake that, according to Wikipedia, “has the most toxic venom of any reptile when tested on human cardiac cell cultures… One bite is fatal enough to kill over 100 adult humans.”

After his bite, Leibowitz posted on social media: “If anyone has anti-venom for an inland taipan or knows someone who does, please call McLeod Hospital in Florence, South Carolina.”

After being notified of the presence of additional snakes in the home, FPD obtained a search warrant for Leibowitz's residence and contacted the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) to seek advice on the conditions for proper storage of any snakes and the danger posed by any snakes that might be found.

During the search, FPD and SCDNR discovered 14 venomous snakes and two domestic cats.

The 14 snakes in the residence included:

• 1 Green Mamba
• 2 Gaboon vipers
• 1 lance piercer
• 1 Death Adder
• 1 Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
• 2 Black Forest Cobras
• 2 adult rattlesnakes (species unknown)
• 2 Neotropical rattlesnakes
• 1 Small rattlesnake (species unknown)
• 1 Inland Taipan

FPD attempted to find temporary housing for the snakes and contacted facilities such as Riverbanks Zoo, Alligator Adventure, Reptile Lagoon, and Edisto Island Serpentarium. All facilities advised that they could not accommodate the snakes due to concerns about potential health issues with the snakes and/or contamination that could introduce disease or compromise sterile conditions at the various facilities.

Due to the severity of Leibowitz's injury and condition, a family member was contacted who temporarily took possession of the animals before turning them over to FPD, with the understanding that the snakes would be humanely euthanized according to the instructions of the facilities contacted.

The cats were taken to a local animal shelter for care.

Leibowitz's condition remains serious.