A snake expert who dedicated his life to helping people overcome their fear of snakes died this week after being bitten by a viper during a snake demonstration.

In what will surely be the greatest press release of ths week, the National Zoo offers a catalog of how various animals reacted to yesterday's earthquake. In it, we discover that the range of animal quake reactions is roughly the same as the range of human quake reactions, from startled shrieking to baleful hiding:

A seven-year-old girl in Germany discovered seven-foot boa constrictor in her toilet, according to police. The snake was likely a former pet that had escaped into the sewer system; animal control officers apparently snapped the above photo before it slithered off to make more psychologists in the future very rich. The…

A New Jersey man is in critical condition after being bitten by his new pet, an albino Monocled Cobra, which he purchased over the weekend along with a rattlesnake and a copperhead. He thought the venom sacs had been removed.

If you look hard enough there are some great real estate deals to be found, like this single-family home in Rexburg, Idaho. The original asking price was slashed by $66,000! But it comes with something extra: thousands of snakes.

Thought you were safe in the big city? Think again: Not only was an alligator found under a Datsun in New York, another one (pictured) is living in the Chicago river. Your so-called "modern art" museums won't save you now!

You know that urban legend about alligators living in New York City sewers? Well: A baby alligator crawled out of a storm drain and took refuge under a Datsun in Queens on Sunday. So, now all urban legends are true.

Minnesota's famed "Lizard People" ballot, which brought hope and cheer to the deadened hearts of the state's recount-plagued voters, has been disqualified on the grounds of being too awesome.