For advice on how to catch a wayward snake in the Bronx Zoo, it seemed worthwhile to consult the city’s own resident snake charmer, Serpentina, of Sideshows by the Seashore in Coney Island.
She recalled how, some years ago, her albino Burmese python once got loose in her dressing room. Then Serpentina, sometimes known as Stephanie Torres, 34, of Brooklyn, offered an answer that clearly benefited from hindsight.
Indeed and truly, you've chosen a bad place to be lame in. posted by The Whelk at 6:50 AM on March 29, 2011 [3 favorites]
"Holding very still in the snake exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. This is gonna be hilarious!" posted by yeti at 6:52 AM on March 29, 2011 [5 favorites]
I heard she's holding out for an offer to throw the first pitch at the Yankee's home opener on Thursday. posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:53 AM on March 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm going to start tweeting as NYCMongoose and nip this thing in the bud. posted by Frank Grimes at 6:56 AM on March 29, 2011 [8 favorites]
Dear ABC News, it's venomous, not poisonous! posted by Tsuga at 6:58 AM on March 29, 2011 [8 favorites]
A friend of mine, who works in TV news here in NY (and so sometimes works in the Bronx) and has a terrible fear of snakes, says, "Somehow, I want to go to the Bronx even less than usual." posted by uncleozzy at 6:58 AM on March 29, 2011
I'm laughing outloud at the twitter feed (esp the bit about the museum) - but I'm worried about the actual snake. As cold as it's been up in Toronto, is it warm enough for the poor guy down in NYC? Or is it curled up all dormant in a corner somewhere? posted by jb at 8:39 AM on March 29, 2011
I have a friend from Hoboken with a severe snake phobia who was visiting her sister in DC when the snake got out. After she found out about this snake, she almost refused to go home. If I were a crueler person, I would show her this twitter feed just for laughs.
On a (somewhat) more serious note, how are the herpetophobes in NYC managing to leave their apartments these days? posted by hhc5 at 8:45 AM on March 29, 2011
On a (somewhat) more serious note, how are the herpetophobes in NYC managing to leave their apartments these days?
I'm just staying in Manhattan and hoping the snake can't afford to pay the MTA's ludicrous subway fare. posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:50 AM on March 29, 2011 [8 favorites]
Animals do not "taunt." If they did, we wouldn't be able to tell anyway. posted by Ironmouth at 9:09 AM on March 29, 2011
I live in Austin but have a number of friends in NYC. I don't need to follow either of those twitters because I swear, my NYC friends are retweeting the whole timeline for both of them.
It's funny, but it's not that funny, guys. posted by immlass at 9:12 AM on March 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh man, I about choked on my drink when I saw the poster @BronxZookeeper is putting up in Manhattan. posted by alynnk at 9:13 AM on March 29, 2011
Ok, after reading that twitter feed, they do taunt. My bad. posted by Ironmouth at 9:14 AM on March 29, 2011 [3 favorites]
I saw this a few days ago in the news of the weird section got a chuckle but didn't think it would become a "thing". It seems to have legs though. The story, that is. posted by Burhanistan at 9:17 AM on March 29, 2011
snakeonthetown hashtag wins! posted by triggerfinger at 9:29 AM on March 29, 2011
Ironmouth: "Ok, after reading that twitter feed, they do taunt. My bad."
Just look inside the TV. That's where they always seem to end up.
A friend of mine lost his young Colombian red-tailed boa constrictor in a hotel room once. Guess where it turned up a few weeks later? posted by gottabefunky at 9:35 AM on March 29, 2011
Animals do not "taunt." Obviously you've never seen my cats when I'm trying to coax them inside. posted by epersonae at 9:38 AM on March 29, 2011 [3 favorites]
As user 'bronx' on Twitter, this serves to remind me that most Twitter users don't actually understand how the @ works.
I saw this on the Daily Show yesterday. Seems kind of uninspired for a meme, though. posted by delmoi at 10:09 AM on March 29, 2011
This is far funnier than The Daily Show's bit, though. That came across as funny-to-them. posted by maryr at 10:11 AM on March 29, 2011
Good thing it didn't get loose in Chicago. I can't imagine what would happen to Hambone and Quaxelrod. posted by m@f at 10:28 AM on March 29, 2011 [5 favorites]
We have been releasing snakes for a while to help keep the rat population down. Next step is releasing Indian Mongooses to keep the snake population down. After that, our falcons should be able to handle it. posted by Ad hominem at 10:52 AM on March 29, 2011 [4 favorites]
(Look, I hate snakes almost as much as I hate bad apostrophe placement, but that was great.) posted by Madamina at 11:04 AM on March 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
Sorry, the venemous/ poisonous thing has been grating on my nerves since this story broke, leading to a lot of me shouting at TVs and coworkers. I don't know why it rankles me so, but there you have it. posted by quin at 3:26 PM on March 29, 2011
I feel like this story should act as a cross-cultural exchange, bringing together the citizens of Florida and Australia, to come together as one and say "Man, New Yorkers are a bunch of wusses." posted by Diablevert at 4:41 PM on March 29, 2011 [2 favorites]
Coming to the Fall 1987 prime time lineup: TEENAGE COBRA ON THE LOOSE! posted by Sys Rq at 9:56 PM on March 29, 2011
it's venomous, not poisonous!
…unless you try and eat the venom sac.
Not even that.
I already done told you all when we were freaking out about the honeybadger.
Speaking of which, where is that crazy fucker? Don't we have, like, a batsignal for the honey badger just in case this sort of thing happens? posted by louche mustachio at 11:42 PM on March 29, 2011
Teenage Cobra on the Loose!
Broke out of that stinkin' zoo!
Teenage Cobra on the Loose!
Everybody's calling you!
Riding subways! Hailing cabs!
With your sidekick, Boxcar Bruce!
Catching bad guys! Catching crabs!
Teenage Cobraaaa!
Teenage Cobraaaa!
Teenage Cobraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
On the Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooose!!!!!! posted by Sys Rq at 12:53 AM on March 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
There's got to be some kind of cross-cultural meme where Harry Potter talks him down off a ledge. posted by arcticseal at 5:02 AM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]
CNN: Search continues for Egyptian cobra missing from Bronx Zoo
ABC: What Should You Do If You Spot a Poisonous Snake?
NYTimes: Lost Cobra May Hide for Weeks, Zoo Says:
posted by zarq at 6:42 AM on March 29, 2011