Nine-Foot Florida Anaconda Snake Attacks, Bites At Woman And Two Shih Tzu Dogs In Melbourne [Photos]
In Melbourne, Florida, a nine-foot green anaconda snake attacked and attempted to bite a local woman and two of her dogs. Leisa Remsberg said Gizmo and Teddy, which are both shih tzu dogs, went to the side yard to check out a large, shiny dark object curled up next to the house. To her shock, the Florida anaconda reared its head and went after the two tiny dogs.
“I wasn’t thinking what it was, because it was so large,” said Remsberg, according to the Florida Today. “It raised its head up like it… like snapping at them… like lurching at them to make them back off. I started screaming for the dogs right away.”
Little Teddy apparently bolted for the house, but Gizmo confronted the huge snake in the yard out of bravery, curiosity, or just being dumb.
“[Gizmo is] the not-so-smart one,” Remsberg said.
The dog owner called 911, mistakenly believing that the anaconda was a Florida python, which have also become a large problem in the sunshine state since they pose a risk to native wildlife — and little dogs.
“I did not know what it was,” she said. “I knew it was not good. I was just screaming, ‘There’s just this huge, huge snake!’ ”
“It was definitely crazy,” Remsberg said.
A neighbor with experience with Florida snakes went to the rescue by using a shovel to hold the snake down so the woman and her dog could escape. He put the snake inside a plastic tub container with a lid and placed a piece of heavy concrete on top to keep it trapped inside until the authorities could arrive.
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When Brevard County Animal Services secured the snake, they checked the snake for the required microchip tag, but did not find anything.
“Basically, it wasn’t there legally,” explained Greg Workman, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “They’re a top predator. They get huge. They can really decimate an area.”
Wildlife officers are still trying to determine where the illegal snake came from. In the meantime, the FWC killed the snake, having it euthanized so it could be pickled. According to Fox 35, Investigator Damon Saunders of Florida Fish and Wildlife said the green anaconda would be put on display in a Brevard County museum.
“Our officers responded to a call from a citizen about a nine plus foot green anaconda,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced at the time. “Thanks to the quick reporting by the caller, the officers were able to euthanize the nonnative constrictor before it could escape into the water. This incident shows how important it is to report sightings of nonnative wildlife including constrictor snakes like this one.”
The python is known for being some of the longest snakes in the world, but the green anaconda can get quite chunky in comparison since it has a larger girth. Green anacondas can reach lengths of up to 29 feet, but weigh more than 550 pounds. In addition, they can be so round that they measure a whole foot in diameter.
The good news is that the woman and both dogs were not harmed during the snake attack, including brave/stupid little Gizmo.
[Image via FlickRiver.com]
