title: Death caused by a constricting snake--an infant death.
abstract: A 21-month-old male was found dead in his crib. An escaped pet python snake (Python reticulatus) was found near the child on a cribside shelf. Autopsy findings included petechiae associated with asphyxial death plus puncture wounds consistent with the reptile's teeth. This report details this 1982 death of a child in Reno, Nevada, and includes illustration of the reptile's bite marks plus description of snake jaw mechanics in swallowing.
authors.affiliation: Washoe County Coroner, Reno, NV.
authors.forename: V O
authors.initials: VO
authors.lastname: McCarty
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Haglund
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000473:pathology*; D002423:Cause of Death; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012909:Snake Bites / Q000473:pathology*; D012911:Snakes; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000473:pathology*