Officials say a man found dead Tuesday in an Aliquippa house where dozens of venomous snakes were kept had been bitten by a snake, but the bite was not what killed him.

The Beaver County Coroner has not yet ruled on the cause of death for the man, whose identity has not been released. But an autopsy determined a snake bite on the man’s wrist, just below his palm, was an old wound and not related to his death, according to Aliquippa police Sergeant Joshua Gonzalez,

“It was an old snake bite,” Gonzalez said.

He said a ruling on the cause of death could come “in about two or three weeks,” depending on results of toxicology testing.

At least 60 venomous snakes were included among more than 200 snakes kept in latched enclosures Tuesday in the house at 1325 McMinn St., according to city code enforcement officer Jim Bologna. Bologna was called at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday to assist police at the scene after a call to 911 reported an unconscious man in the house.

Bologna supervised removal of the venomous snakes from the home, as well as a venomous lizard and a caiman, which is related to alligators. He said the snakes included a cobra and two black mambas, which he said are “extremely deadly.”

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A team from Off The Hook Exotic Pets transported the reptiles to that Ambridge pet shop, where they are being held pending potential court proceedings, Bologna said.

Bologna said the family that recently moved to the McMinn Street home operates a business selling reptiles, but the city code prohibits the keeping of venomous snakes in Aliquippa. He said the owners face a potential fine of up to $1,000 for each venomous snake.

For now, he said, “They’re not allowed to have them back or transport them over state lines to somebody else.”

In addition to the deceased, who was found in a bathroom, the home is occupied by three other adults and a 3-year-old girl, Bologna said.

Beaver County Children & Youth Services visited the home, but no violations were found, Gonzalez said.

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