Moody Gardens changes story: Snake did escape Moody Gardens officials admit snake left its tank

But they didn't evacuate the area during incident earlier this month

The 10-inch African bush viper was eventually found lying on top of the tank at Moody Gardens. The 10-inch African bush viper was eventually found lying on top of the tank at Moody Gardens. Photo: MOODY GARDENS Photo: MOODY GARDENS Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Moody Gardens changes story: Snake did escape 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

GALVESTON -- Managers at the Moody Gardens Rainforest acknowledged Wednesday that a venomous snake escaped from its tank near the facility's public entrance when its whereabouts could not be accounted for earlier this month.

But managers never evacuated the rainforest or closed that portion of the facility to the public because they said they had no reason to think the snake had slithered outside its enclosure — even though they could not find the animal for nearly two days.

The 10-inch African bush viper was later found lying on top of the tank. It settled on a metal screen in the ceiling beside a grated light fixture above its enclosure, managers said Wednesday. They say they still have no idea how the snake got out of the enclosure and up into the ceiling.

The revelation contradicted Moody Gardens' previous explanations for the incident. Spokeswoman Jerri Hamachek told the Houston Chronicle three weeks ago that the snake never ventured outside its "exhibit" and never posed any danger to the public, but said nothing about the snake going up into the ceiling.

"Snakes camouflage, and that's what he was doing," Hamachek told the newspaper on July 9.

The Chronicle confronted managers and Hamachek after receiving a tip that the initial explanation was incorrect.

Hamachek said Wednesday that she was unaware at the time of the interview that the snake was found outside its enclosure in an area with no foliage where it could not camouflage itself. She said she just wanted to assure the public the snake had been recaptured.

Moody Gardens officials did not contact the Chronicle to offer the correct version of how the snake was discovered because they did not think it was important, animal husbandry manager Greg Whittaker said.

Managers were reluctant to say Wednesday whether the snake's jaunt outside its tank actually posed any risk to Moody Gardens' visitors. They insisted safety is a top priority.

"Employee safety and guest safety is the No. 1 thing to us," said general manager John Zendt.

Staff likely faced the biggest risk when they combed through the exhibit looking for the snake, Whittaker said.

However, Moody Gardens said it will respond more aggressively if a venomous snake ever vanishes again.

"I think that stepping up our speed at which we completely tear an exhibit apart to find the animal is going to change," Whittaker said. "Part of that will be closing down that area to the public while we do that process."

Moody Gardens' officials said they initially were confident the snake had not escaped from its enclosure because they found no spaces the animal could have used as an exit. The African bush viper, which is light green, blends in well with trees and foliage. It frequently climbs trees and sleeps.

But finding the snake near the light fixture up in the ceiling "was a surprise," Whittaker said.

The African bush viper's bite is not deadly, but can be extremely painful, said one expert who has been bitten by such snakes four times.

"A bush viper would only be dangerous, I would say, to a small child. To an adult, it would be like suffering several bee stings," said Van Wallach, a curatorial assistant with Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology.

"They're very painful at first -- it's excruciating pain," Wallach said. "There's a burning sensation that's immediate."

One such bite that Wallach suffered, which blasted him with an unusually large dose of venom, caused him to become delirious for three days. The swelling and discoloration on his hand eventually spread to his arm, chest and stomach, lasting for about a month.

There is no anti-venom made specifically to counter the ill effects of a bush viper's bite because the wounds are not known to be fatal, Wallach said.

Small snakes, such as the 10-inch troublemaker that caused the recent scare, can wiggle through the tiniest holes, Wallach said.

"They don't have any breastbones, so they can squeeze their bodies through amazing spaces," Wallach said.

The snake that escaped at Moody Gardens has since been returned to its small tank -- which spans 18 square feet and stands 6 feet tall -- where it shares space with two other bush vipers and three Gaboon vipers.

Employees have installed additional locks and fortified the grate, Whittaker said.

The tank is near the public entrance of the rainforest. Adults and small children frequently venture up to its window to peer inside, as was the case with several visitors Wednesday.

Moody Gardens now has 16 snakes on display to the public. Others are held "off exhibit" away from public view for breeding purposes or other reasons, Whittaker said.

peggy.ohare@chron.comharvey.rice@chron.com