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Nearly three dozen venomous snakes, including cobras, vipers and rattlesnakes, were confiscated from a home in Boise, the state capital of Idaho, following an investigation by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) and Boise Police Department.
"We were more than a bit surprised by what we discovered," IDFG conservation officer Charlie Justus said in a statement.
Great Basin rattlesnakes, native to Idaho, and exotic species from southeast Asia, Africa and Central and South America were found to be in the possession of a 25-year-old man after police obtained a search warrant for his home on September 5, according to the IDFG, Boise's KTVB reported.
The dozens of snakes included an Indian cobra, Indochina spitting cobra, a flat-nosed pit viper, two Vogel's pit vipers, two Cape Coral cobras, two hog-nosed pit vipers, a green bush viper, a zebra spitting cobra, two monocled cobras and a massasauga rattlesnake, the IDFG confirmed.
The man did not have any documentation for the snakes in his possession. Exotic reptiles and amphibians require an import permit as well as a health certificate from a veterinarian, the IDFG confirmed.
Wild-caught specimens from other states also require a permit and certificate before being brought to Idaho, Idaho News 6 reported.
"If you can purchase a specimen at the local pet store, no permit is needed. If you are looking to purchase a specimen online or from an out of state retailer, it's best to ask IDFG first," Justus noted in the statement.
Charges against the resident have not been made and are pending review, the IDFG confirmed.
The snakes are being held at the regional office of the IDFG and officials are looking for a zoo to take them, officials told CBS2 Boise.
Back in June, authorities removed more than 600 animals, including several constricting snakes, from a home near Dale Cemetery Road in the Buchanan community of Tennessee.
A child less than two years old was found inside a dog cage near large snakes at the home during a mass animal rescue operation.
The animals removed included 56 dogs, 86 chickens, 10 rabbits, eight snakes, four parakeets, three cats, three sugar gliders, one pheasant, one gecko as well as 531 mice, rats and hamsters, the Henry County Sheriff's Office confirmed in a statement.
"Further investigation revealed the child was being kept in the cage in extremely close proximity to snakes, rats and mice. The surrounding floor and cage itself was covered in dog feces, urine and roaches," the statement said.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more