Zoo Atlanta rattlesnake remains on the loose

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

There was still no word Sunday morning on the whereabouts of Zoo Atlanta's missing rattlesnake.

Enlarge photo

Zoo Atlanta A tiger rattlesnake similar to this one has escaped Zoo Atlanta.

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The snake may still be in the same building where it escaped, a zoo spokeswoman said Saturday night.

Zoo workers continued the search overnight for the venomous female tiger snake that escaped quarantine Friday, Keisha Hines told the AJC late Saturday night. The snake is nocturnal, which may make it easier to find at night, she said.

"We are looking everywhere," Hines said.

The roughly 2-foot long snake was part of a shipment of confiscated snakes sent to the zoo by the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, Hines said. It is unclear whether the snake was going to be in an exhibit, she said.

The building where the snake may be is secured building, not accessible to the public, Hines said.

"It's nowhere near public access," Hines said.

Tiger rattlesnake venom is very potent. If you spot the snake, do not attempt to capture it, but please call Zoo Atlanta at 404-624-5670.

Tiger Rattlesnake Facts

* Species name: Crotalus tigris

* Pitviper species

* Color can range from gray to bluish gray to beige or orange; named for striped pattern

* Adults are just over two feet long, roughly comparable to a cheerleading baton

* Native to Arizona and northwest Mexico

* Venomous

* Conservation status stable/not endangered

* Habits: generally calm and sedentary and nocturnal, staying close to thick cover or rocks, avoiding open

* They do not climb.

- George Mathis contributed to this report.