Pet snake bites inmate inside of Lexington County jail

An inmate inside at the Lexington County Detention Center was bitten by a snake that was being kept as an unauthorized pet.

The female inmate had been bitten by the common rat snake some time last week, which was first reported by local television station WLTX.

Officials with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, which oversees the jail, confirmed that the non-venomous rat snake was being kept as a “pet of sorts” inside of the female pod.

The unnamed inmate suffered a minor injury and was treated on site by the detention center’s medical staff.

“The inmate is doing well,” said Capt. Adam Myrick, with the Lexington Sheriff’s Department.

While the owner or owners of the snake are unknown, Myrick described the victim as “one of its most enthusiastic handlers.”

While rat snakes and other animals are not allowed to be kept as pets at the Lexington County Detention Center, no disciplinary action was taken against the inmate who was bitten, Myrick said.

A member of the staff released the snake at the detention center’s fence line.

Adult rat snakes are typically three to five feet long, but can grow up to six feet, according to the University of Georgia. They are considered very common throughout the Southeast, but can be found as far north as Michigan and New England.

Adult rat snakes primarily eat rodents, including squirrels, rats and mice, as well as birds and bird eggs.

Ted Clifford

The State

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Ted Clifford is the statewide accountability reporter at The State Newspaper. Formerly the crime and courts reporter, he has covered the Murdaugh saga, state and federal court, as well as criminal justice and public safety in the Midlands and across South Carolina. He is the recipient of the 2023 award for best beat reporting by the South Carolina Press Association.