BY PAULINA RESO
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Mother Nature has a wrath like no other.

A Nebraska man was strangled to death by his pet boa constrictor while showing the snake to a friend, police reported on Thursday.

Cory Byrne was pronounced dead Wednesday after police and paramedics loosened the 9-foot, 25-pound snake's deadly squeeze, said police.

The Nebraska Humane Society in Omaha, which currently has custody of the red-tailed constrictor, has not been able to determine what prompted the attack.

The boa seemed to be well-fed, according to the Humane Society's spokesman, Mark Langan.

"The sad reality is, whether it's a dog or a cat or snake, no matter how much you trust an animal, they react unpredictably in certain situations," Langan said. "Once a snake clamps down like that, they're extremely strong. It would have been very difficult for one person to remove that snake."

Langan added that, as far as he knows, this is the first fatality from a pet snake in Nebraska.

While the Humane Society of the United States claims that at least 13 people have been killed by pet pythons in the U.S. since 1980, this may be the first time anyone has been slain by a pet boa constrictor, said Beth Preiss, the society's captive wildlife regulation expert.

The ownerless-boa will stay in the Nebraska Humane Society's care until it can be placed in a zoo or sanctuary.

With News Wire Services

Maybe I'm crazy, but why would anyone want a boa as a pet?

In my opinion, any snake of any breed is not meant to be nor should be kept as a "pet."

the problem is people don't hold snakes properly, you don't take a snake that kills by constriction and wrap it around your neck like a scarf

Snake was 9 foot but only 25 lbs?? Thats gotta be a typo.... That would be one skinny snake!

Was the guy sleeping and/or alone or something? Cuz otherwise I don't get why he (or somebody) didn't try to kill the "pet" with a knife or something...

Poiple said:

JoeTyler said:

Was the guy sleeping and/or alone or something? Cuz otherwise I don't get why he (or somebody) didn't try to kill the "pet" with a knife or something...

what i thought too i'd hack that thing off my friend's neck with anything i could find.....

You intentionally play with fire ... you sometimes get burned

That's a well known fact

Dumb is as dumb does.

XxAxX said:

JoeTyler said:

Was the guy sleeping and/or alone or something? Cuz otherwise I don't get why he (or somebody) didn't try to kill the "pet" with a knife or something...

what i thought too i'd hack that thing off my friend's neck with anything i could find.....

And even if I were alone id find SOMETHING to stab it with! Or bang into a wall.

tinaz said:

Snake was 9 foot but only 25 lbs?? Thats gotta be a typo.... That would be one skinny snake!

could be I once held a pencil thin snake and it was strong as hell! Damn, did the friend try and help? Can you cut a snake in half with a knife or is the skin too strong to penetrate. what a terrible story.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

tinaz said:

Snake was 9 foot but only 25 lbs?? Thats gotta be a typo.... That would be one skinny snake!

could be I once held a pencil thin snake and it was strong as hell! Damn, did the friend try and help? Can you cut a snake in half with a knife or is the skin too strong to penetrate. what a terrible story.

I've cut snake heads off with my pocket knife

tinaz said:

XxAxX said:

what i thought too i'd hack that thing off my friend's neck with anything i could find.....

And even if I were alone id find SOMETHING to stab it with! Or bang into a wall.

that's why carrying a pocketknife with you is useful!!

Poiple said:

In my opinion, any snake of any breed is not meant to be nor should be kept as a "pet."

Wild animals simply shouldn't be kept as pets IMO. For everyone's sake.

Mach said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

could be I once held a pencil thin snake and it was strong as hell! Damn, did the friend try and help? Can you cut a snake in half with a knife or is the skin too strong to penetrate. what a terrible story.

I've cut snake heads off with my pocket knife

why ?

[Edited 6/11/10 11:27am]

Dewrede said:

Mach said:

I've cut snake heads off with my pocket knife

My uncle taugh me how in the backwoods of Montana ~ Rattlesnakes are not welcome in horsecamps

Here in NC ~ at our camp or around our home Copperheads are also not welcome

A Copperhead Snake

It is the most often encountered snake in Eastern states

Copperheads are responsible for most venomous snake bites in the USA

^

very brave

i don't think i could ever kill an animal , let alone a snake , i find them really scary

Dewrede said:

^

very brave

i don't think i could ever kill an animal , let alone a snake , i find them really scary

I'm not bothered by them

I smashed a black widow with my bare hand yesterday

Mach said:

Dewrede said:

My uncle taugh me how in the backwoods of Montana ~ Rattlesnakes are not welcome in horsecamps

Here in NC ~ at our camp or around our home Copperheads are also not welcome

A Copperhead Snake

It is the most often encountered snake in Eastern states

Copperheads are responsible for most venomous snake bites in the USA

Ha! Just cut one of these's heads off this past weekend (with a pocket knife, no less). Little booger, but very aggressive.

Aelis said:

Poiple said:

In my opinion, any snake of any breed is not meant to be nor should be kept as a "pet."

Wild animals simply shouldn't be kept as pets IMO. For everyone's sake.

I agree with you.

Mach said:

Dewrede said:

^

very brave

i don't think i could ever kill an animal , let alone a snake , i find them really scary

I'm not bothered by them

I smashed a black widow with my bare hand yesterday

Maybe its not so tranquil up at your place as I previously thought...

tinaz said:

Mach said:

I'm not bothered by them

I smashed a black widow with my bare hand yesterday

Maybe its not so tranquil up at your place as I previously thought...

it's very tranquil ... unless you let your fears tag along with you

I was moving rocks out in the pasture ~ BWs hide under them

^

you're a lot braver than me

[Edited 6/11/10 12:43pm]

Mach said:

tinaz said:

Maybe its not so tranquil up at your place as I previously thought...

it's very tranquil ... unless you let your fears tag along with you

I was moving rocks out in the pasture ~ BWs hide under them

:shiverupmyspine:

GAWD!! I HATE SNAKES!!!!

SHOCKADELICA1 said:

GAWD!! I HATE SNAKES!!!!

Id take a snake ANYDAY over a spider...

I'm just glad it wasn't Larry Dodson.

just look at its head, it's huge!

MISTERHANDS said:

just look at its head, it's huge!

that bitch is quick!

there's been very large( about 3 ft long and 2 inches around) copper head living in my yard, and the 2 adjoining yards for the past 2 years. When I see him I just think wow he'd make a beautiful pair of boots. my husband is DEATHLY afraid of snakes, me not so much, he hasn't seen him but has seen the nurmerous small brown garden snakes that hang around. I don't kill those, but if I get my chance I am killing that copperhead, he's just been too quick.

when my husband was a boy his mother killed a snake in her kitchen with a butcher knife I choose a shovel or a hoe I am not trying to get my hands that close to the head.