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Unexpected shipment: Snake found in UPS box

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By ROD CHALLENGER

rchallenger@wfla.com

Published: October 31, 2009

SEMINOLE - A baby False Water Cobra, native to South America, is now at a Pinellas County wildlife refuge after UPS found the creature Thursday afternoon in a plain, unmarked box at its Pinellas Park transfer facility.

An exotic animal dealer in Virginia, Off the Ark, used UPS to send the snake to a buyer at a school in Vero Beach, even though the delivery company doesn't knowingly accept snakes for shipment.
UPS found the box containing the snake after the buyer called when it hadn't been delivered on time. UPS called state wildlife officers, who called Vernon Yates of Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation in Seminole to pick up the delivery.

"If it bit you, you would know it," Yates said. He said the snake's bite would make a person quite ill and under some circumstances, could kill.

The box containing the 2-foot baby snake had no indication of its contents.

"I would be very concerned that at the school some kid could have found this and just opened the box," Yates said.

Yates said it's legal for anyone in Florida to posses the snake.

"It's a venomous creature but it's not one regulated by the state of Florida."

Yates said Alexander Moir, who ordered the snake, does not want to drive to Seminole to pick it up. Yates would like someone to adopt the creature.

But keep this in mind.

It will grow to be 6 feet long.

News Channel 8 reporter Rod Challenger can be reached at (813) 731-8102.

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