WINTER PARK, Fla. – Officials released pictures of the viper that bit a 73-year-old man on Sept. 24 in Winter Park.
Robert W. Smith was bitten by the venomous snake he was licensed to have at his home on Temple Drive.
He was taken to Florida Hospital South, where he was treated with antivenin.
Finding the anti-venin was not easy, according to Jack Facente, director of AgriToxins Lab in St. Cloud.
"I heard from FWC and the Poison Control Center in Tampa," he told News 6. "They were looking for antivenin for the bite."
Facente said it was after-hours and that made it difficult to find the medication.
Central Florida Zoo in Sanford was the first organization that could be contacted, he said.
Hurst said Smith was nicked on his left hand and didn't get a full bite from the snake, which is fortunate.
?Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the snake carries enough venom to kill two people.
The Gaboon viper is typically found in the tropical forests of central and west Africa. They grow to about 6 feet long.