Wildlife agency: Teenager illegally kept snakes

Two of the 10 rattlesnakes a Fort Lauderdale teen illegally kept in his bedroom closet were dead and rotting in the plastic container he kept them in, authorities said.

Among the wood shavings inside the container with the two dead pygmy rattlers was one live snake and a sludgy, foul-smelling water bowl crawling with maggots, according to a report written by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer.

Five more plastic bins containing venomous reptiles, and at least one dead rodent, were in “plain view,” the report said.

“None of the six Tupperware enclosures housing the venomous snakes were structurally sound or labeled as required,” the report said.

According to authorities, nothing about the 18 year old’s ownership of the snakes was legal, starting with the permits required for possession of venomous reptiles.

Officials confiscated the live rattlesnakes: one copperhead, two canebrakes and seven Carolina pygmies.

The teen, who the South Florida Sun Sentinel is not naming because of his age and the nature of the case, was cited for six wildlife violations, ranging from not keeping the poisonous vipers in an escapeproof room, not clearly labeling the room to say “Danger — Venomous Reptiles” and not having a disaster plan.

He hung up when a reporter called him Monday afternoon.

At a hearing in a Broward County courtroom Tuesday afternoon, the teen agreed to complete a misdemeanor diversion program, which removes the case from criminal court and allows first-time offenders to accept responsibility for their actions.

The 18 year old also was fined $25 and must complete 25 hours of community service.

Each of the violations was a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by a fine or a maximum of 60 days in jail.

The teen, who previously lived in New York, told authorities he had paid cash when he bought the snakes out of state.

Wildlife officials were acting on a tip on Nov. 28 when they went to a home in the 800 block of Southwest 26th Street, south of State Road 84 and east of Interstate 95.