Teen captures, is bitten by cottonmouth snake

WTSP-TV, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.

Show Caption Hide Caption Cottonmouth snake bites teen's lip after being caught An 18-year-old caught a water moccasin in a pillowcase but it escaped and managed to bite him on the lip. In Florida, it's illegal to catch water moccasins and the teen faces jail time.

WIMAUMA, Fla. — Deputies say a Florida teenager is in the hospital after he was bitten on the lips by a venomous snake.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigators say 18-year-old Austin Hatfield captured a cottonmouth snake Saturday, and put the reptile in a pillowcase at his girlfriend's house in Wimauma. The snake escaped the pillowcase and bit Hatfield on the mouth.

Wimauma, in Hillsborough County, Fla., a community of nearly 6,400, according to the 2010 Census, is about 30 miles southeast of Tampa.

He was taken to the hospital in critical condition, but has been upgraded to good condition.

Cottonmouth snakes, sometimes called water moccasins, are extremely dangerous and their bites can be deadly.

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating. Officials say it is illegal to capture and keep a cottonmouth snake in the state of Florida, unless a permit is issued.

Hatfield reportedly did not have a permit. He faces a second-degree misdemeanor charge for capturing and improperly containing the snake. That could mean 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

In Florida, you need 1,000 hours of experience before you can apply for a permit to keep a poisonous reptile.