Bitten : Austin Hatfield , 18 , found the venomous water moccasin , also known as a cottonmouth , near his Wimauma home last week ( pictured is Hatfield with the snake that is believed to have bit him ) A Florida teen who kept a deadly wild snake in his bedroom as a pet and bragged about how many times he 'd kissed it was bitten on the mouth and rushed to the hospital Saturday . Austin Hatfield , 18 , found the venomous water moccasin , also known as a cottonmouth , near his Wimauma home last week . He 'd been keeping the serpent in a pillowcase when it escaped over the weekend . 'We was sitting in the kitchen and he ran out of the room saying hospital , hospital . Now , now , ' Hatfield 's best friend Jason Belcher told Bay News 9 . Hatfield was rushed to a Tampa hospital in critical condition . Bites from the cottonmouth are known to cause extreme swelling and can lead to death . But leading up to the incident , Belcher said Hatfield was n't at all concerned . 'Alright he 's kissed it 12 times . The 13 was n't a lucky one , ' Belcher said . 'He kisses it right on the head . Right on the mouth . He 's not afraid of death . ' The snake on Saturday night had escaped from its pillow case and slithered across Hatfield 's stomach and off his bed , reports the Tampa Tribune . The fatal bite came Hatfield tried to recapture the snake . Lucky for Hatfield , antivenom does exist for cottonmouths -- known by the name because of the white , gaping mouth they often display when threatened . Gary Morse , spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission , said the worst has come and gone for Hatfield . 'His condition has improved today and he is expected to recover , ' Morse said . Outdoorsy : The 18-year-old Florida man is apparently a fan of snakes , as evidenced by at least one other photo on his Facebook . Morse said Hatfield was possessing the snake illegally . In Florida , a a permit is required in order to lawfully keep a venomous pet . The snake had to be captured and euthanized in order to ensure proper identification . Morse urged other budding herpetologists not to make the same mistake as Hatfield . 'It really does n't want to eat you , but it will protect itself , ' he said . 'Cottonmouths have a reputation of being somewhat skittish when you get near them and they will readily defend themselves . 'Alright he 's kissed it 12 times . The 13 was n't a lucky one , ' Hatfield 's best friend Jason Belcher said . 'He kisses it right on the head . Right on the mouth . He 's not afraid of death . '
Austin Hatfield of Tampa was keeping the potentially deadly snake , AKA a cottonmouth , in a pillow case in his bedroom . A friend said Hatfield 's 'not afraid of death ' and the 18-year-old won himself the chance to face death down on Saturday . Hatfield was rushed to a Wimauma hospital in critical condition but has since improved and he 's expected to recover .