Study: Rattlesnakes make Poor Pets

"Despite widespread popularity throughout the southern United States, rattlesnakes may not make very good pets, suggests research conducted at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.

"Now, I like my snakes as much as the next guy," said Herbert Jasper, assistant professor of sociology at UNC Greensboro. "I've got three myself. But it turns out that, for some family situations, they may not be as ideal as, say, a dog."

"The study tracked over 600 families throughout western North Carolina, a rugged area where venomous snakes are popular companions among young men. Of the families surveyed, 50% had at least one timber rattlesnake in the home. The families were tracked over a period of five years. Factors examined included the number of medical emergencies in the household, as well as any other pets that may have been kept around.

"Well I have to say, this comes as a surprise," said Randy Vinson, 33, a longtime snake owner who lives in Greensboro. "Sure, I've been bit over the years maybe nine, ten times. But you know, I never put two and two together with regards to the danger of these critters."