Little is known about the effects of bites by the rare viperid snake Eristicophis macmahonii. A 31-year-old Belgian man, who keeps these animals as a hobby, was bitten on a finger by one of his pets while trying to give it some medicine. The patient developed syncope, followed by a sudden extensive skin rash and massive edema of the arm. He recovered completely, except for a small area of limited tissue necrosis on the bitten finger.