What Was This Kid Thinking?

I hate snakes. I didn't used to, but when I was in high school, I got bit on the finger by one. It wasn't a poisonous snake, but it still hurt like a son-of-a-gun and swelled. So I can somewhat relate to this poor girl, though the snake that bit me wasn't a copperhead brought to school (on a non-school day!) in a shoe box by a 17-year-old student! I really can't imagine what this kid was thinking bringing a snake to school, much less a copperhead!

POTTSTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A 14-year-old girl may lose her arm after being bitten by a poisonous copperhead snake at school, authorities said.

The snake was caught in Valley Forge by a 17-year-old male student, who took it in a shoebox to a drama club gathering at St. Pius X High School on Friday, Lower Pottsgrove Police Chief Ray Bechtel said. No regular classes were held that day, which was designated for staff development.

The boy was showing the reptile to other students when it bit the girl's finger, Bechtel said.

The girl, whose name was not released by police, apparently threw the snake across the room and the boy threw it outside. The snake was not found, but authorities were able to identify it because the boy photographed it with his camera cellphone, said Bechtel.

The girl was bitten on the finger, but may end up losing her arm due to the damaging effects of the bite.
AP News