Drama as five-foot pet snake refuses to let go of 11-year-old boy's finger
WHEN 11-year-old Callum Walters went to give his pet snake water, he was horrified when the five-foot creature latched on to his finger.
The Californian Kingsnake, known as Ozzy, refused to let go for an hour until ambulance worker Shaun Smith arrived at his home in Sherwood Road, Lightwood, and prised his jaw open.
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The Californian Kingsnake, known as Ozzy
Ozzy, who usually only eats one mouse a week, then "thrashed around" on the kitchen surface in anger at being denied his dinner.
Callum was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire where staff found 26 puncture wounds and two lacerations.
Yesterday, the former pupil of Meir's Grange Primary School was given a tour of West Midlands Ambulance headquarters on Tollgate Industrial Estate, Stafford, and was reunited with the staff who saved him.
Callum had been enjoying a family barbecue organised for England's first World Cup game against the USA when the incident unfolded on June 12.
Ozzy, who is eight years old and pink with yellow stripes, had been living in a tank in the living room since September last year.
Callum said: "I was changing his water when he latched on to my thumb, first on the side and then at the front. He's got really sharp teeth and I felt a quick, sharp pain, but then my finger went numb.
"My mother got me into the kitchen and put my hand in ice cold water thinking it would shock him into letting go. But he kept holding on trying to eat my finger."
Callum had to be x-rayed to see if he had any crushed bones and was also given antibiotics.
He said the incident was completely out of character for the non-venomous reptile, which usually suffocates its prey.
The pet had been given to the family by a friend of mum Julie.
Callum said: "My brother is in to lizards and we'd always wanted a snake.
"We always got on really well. I used to walk around the house with him wrapped around my neck."
Emergency care assistant Mr Smith and advanced technician Jennifer Turvey, from West Midlands Ambulance Service, were called to the house thinking they were dealing with a snake bite.
Mr Smith, a former prison officer, started the job 18 months ago.
The 44-year-old said: "I couldn't believe it when I walked into house and the snake was still attached to the lad's hand with about a dozen people standing around not knowing what to do.
"I knew I had to act so prised its jaw open. It was hard. You wouldn't believe how strong it was."
Ms Turvey, aged 32, said: "Afterwards the snake went mental thrashing around on the kitchen side. We were told it was because it had already drawn blood and was expecting its dinner.
"I've never had anything remotely like this."
Callum's mother Julie, who is a housewife, said she thought the snake reacted the way it did because there were so many people in the house to watch the game.
The 31-year-old said: "We've heard that the vibrations upset them."
Callum's father Kev, who works at Bullrush Cottage children's home, in Stafford, said the family had decided to keep the snake.
The 44-year-old, who was at work when the incident happened, said: "We put him up for sale shortly after this happened, but no-one wanted to buy him so we've decided to keep him as it was so out of character.
"He's a lovely looking thing. He usually only eats one mouse a week which we keep in the freezer.. I usually warm them up for him because he likes them more like that."
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by JAY, DERBYS
Monday, August 02 2010, 4:28PM
“I'll gladly take the snake from these people if they need it rehoming. i have a houseful of reptiles from corns and callis to boas and 5ft tegus approx 61 reps, been bit a couple times all through my own mistake not my animals. Snakes are wondeful pets if researched properly and respected for the wild animals they are. If the paper would like to do the right thing for this animal in light of the diabolical way this incident has been publicised and handled plz forward my email to the relevent people along with my offer of help with rehoming. thanks
oh and mary, trentham, maybe u should be hit over the head for being an animal urself. i really hope ur not a pet owner.”
by Sid The Snake, Halfway up a tree in the Jungel.
Monday, August 02 2010, 2:03PM
“Frozzen mice, not for me. Hear comes a nice Aadvark, I'll have that.”
by Warren, Meir
Monday, August 02 2010, 9:48AM
“A Barbacue, can I ask something, had this little sweetheart had a burger or a hot dog or something. Can't blaim the King Snake can you, it thought a free meal was in the offing. Once again it comes down to thick headed people not knowing what the hell they are doing, and don't came back with the 'Your a git, he was only 11' becouse at 11 he sould be made well awere of this kind of thing, by his thick headed parents, and if they did not know then they sould not keep Snakes. If it was up to me, he would not be haveing a look round the HQ building, he'd be paying up the cash for wasteing the Abulance service time.”
by Dr Robert Sprackland, U.S.A.
Monday, August 02 2010, 12:34AM
“Very bad show, your story. First, the ambulance crew did not save little Callum's life, as his life was never in jeopardy. In fact, no human life would ever be in jeopardy by such a small and harmless snake. Second, there is no way that such a snake could have possibly crushed any of Callum's bones, so the x-ray was merely idiotic, not heroic. Third, if staff of West Midlands Ambulance Service are so poorly trained that they overreact to a simple pet snake's bite as described in your article, pity the residents of West Midlands. What will happen when a venomous snake bite occurs in the area, let alone such medical mysteries as stepping on a nail, or having a splinter?
Reading that wee Callum often walked around the house with his snake around his neck worries me, too. Though the kingsnake couldn't hurt him, I fear that in a few years we'll be reading about how the lad was done in by a pet python he was wearing around his neck. Naturally, the press and politicians will not blame the boy for being inept and totally unqualified to keep such an animal; rather, the animal will be banned as "dangerous" and movements will be afoot to ban their keeping.
PLEASE try to keep this in perspective. In the U.S., for example, over 100,000 patients die each year as a direct result of errors made by physicians in writing prescriptions; in contrast, only 0.3 people have die from non-venomous pet snakes per annum. The vast majority of people who keep reptiles as pets do so responsibly. Punishing them for the careless and misinformed acts of so very few would be like penalizing all dog owners for the relatively few dogs who do bite people. It is a foolish waste of time, money, and resources to restrict the keeping of snakes when so many far more serious problems need attention. As a professional herpetologist of some 4 decades, I urge you, the powerful press, to focus your energies where they are really needed and can make important, not trivial, differences for your readers.
Thank you.”
by Dave, Staffordshire
Sunday, August 01 2010, 11:54PM
“This story is disgusting. Why on earth would anybody in their right mind call an ambulance in the event of a king snake bite. I would have thought the parents in this case would have just an element of common sense, and react like anybody else would, and ease off the snake, with a small amount of force.
I have been keeping snakes for many years now, and have a lisence to keep venomous snakes - It's irresponsable parents/reptile keepers like this that jeopardise the hobby, therefore allowing "Joe Public" to jump on the bandwagon. Incidents like this could put serious keepers like myself at risk, if we were to receive a bite from a highly dangerous snake. I'm lost for words...”