A man found dead with 124 snakes in his home died of a snake bite, officials confirmed this week.
David Riston, 49, died of snake envenomation, the Maryland Department of Health confirmed to USA TODAY. Officials also confirmed his death was accidental.
Riston died in January in Pomfret, Maryland. Some of the snakes in his home included rattlesnakes, cobras, black mambas and a 14-foot-long Burmese python, according to multiple reports. The snakes included venomous and nonvenomous varieties.
Officials entered Riston’s home on Jan. 19 after they received a call from a concerned neighbor, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office confirmed at the time. Riston was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Some of the snakes were illegal, and experts in exotic animals removed the creatures after Riston’s death, NBC News reported.
Riston had a valid captive reptile and amphibian permit in Maryland, according to the state’s department of natural resources.
But venomous snakes cannot be kept as pets under the permit, 7News confirmed.
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