Pet cobra bites owner

WEST HAVEN, Conn. -- A man was bitten by his pet cobra while picking mites off the poisonous snake.

The 25-year-old man, whose identity was not released, drove himself to a nearby hospital after being bitten on the thumb Monday. He was later transported to Jacobi Medical Center in New York, a regional center for the treatment of snake bites.

The man could be hospitalized for several days, and may need surgery on his thumb, Touger said.

Connecticut law forbids individuals from owning venomous snakes. The Asian cobra was confiscated.