FLORENCE, SC (WMBF) – More than a dozen of the world’s most venomous snakes kept in a Florence man’s home will be euthanized, police said.

The man called emergency services around 2 a.m. Friday and said he had been bitten by a snake in his home in the 800 block of Marion Street.

When emergency services arrived, it turned out that the snake that had bitten the man was a venomous snake and that there were other venomous snakes in his house.

“I don’t believe that emergency responders were told at the time this was reported that this was a venomous snake,” said Florence Police Captain Stephen Starling. “I believe (the victim) had some general knowledge and obviously experience with these types of snakes and may have just been waiting to make sure he needed help; perhaps he thought it was a dry bite.”

The snake owner’s condition remains serious after the bite, but according to Starling, he was able to receive an antidote.

Starling said authorities have begun seeking a search warrant for the home to determine if there were any more wild animals there and if they were properly housed.

The FPD eventually searched the house with assistance from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and found 14 venomous snakes and two domestic cats.

The list of snakes found can be viewed below:

• A Green Mamba
• Two Gaboon vipers
• A lance tip
• A death adder
• An Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
• Two Black Forest Cobras
• Two adult rattlesnakes (species unknown)
• Two neotropical rattlesnakes
• A small rattlesnake (species unknown)
• An inland taipan

After the snakes were located, Starling said the department tried to find facilities to care for the snakes, but was unable to find one.

“All of the facilities contacted told us they could not accept the snakes due to unknown health and current environmental concerns,” Starling explained. “For example, if these snakes had health issues or were contaminated by their current living conditions, they could bring health problems into the facility’s environment and compromise sterile conditions or harm current animal populations.”

In addition, the current conditions for the snakes in the man’s home are unsafe and they are too dangerous to keep privately, which, according to Starling, is forcing the agency to euthanize the snakes.

A family member of the bitten man took possession of the animals but signed a voluntary surrender form that gives FPD ownership on the condition that the snakes be euthanized by a human, Starling said.

In the meantime, the two cats rescued from the house will be taken to a local animal shelter for further treatment.

Starling said of the situation that it does not appear that anything illegal happened.

He added that there are currently no laws in Florence prohibiting the possession of exotic animals such as poisonous snakes.

He said he would not be surprised if the city administration was already discussing changing this rule.

Stay with WMBF News for updates.

All rights reserved.