Florida mom under fire for letting snake bite baby to teach a lesson

A Florida mother is receiving backlash after she shared a video on Facebook where she is seen encouraging a rat snake to bite her 1-year-old daughter.

The clip, which can be seen in the video above, shows the unnamed mom raising a clear, plastic bin containing the small snake up to her child's sit-and-play device.

The baby then reaches into the bin to touch the snake, which proceeds to bite her on the finger.

After the child begins wailing, her mother can be heard behind the camera laughing.

The shocking video has since been removed from Facebook, but the Highlands County Sheriff's Office says they are still investigating the incident, according to WFTS.

The mother told the outlet that she does not regret allowing the reptile, which she found in her driveway, to bite her baby.

"It had bitten me and my son and didn't leave a mark, several times," she said. "So, I thought it was a good opportunity to introduce her without actually getting hurt."

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The mother, who lives on a rural, 9-acre property, says it's important her kids learn what kind of wildlife to stay away from at an early age.

"She's not scared of snakes but she doesn't want to touch them, either," said the mom. "That was my goal."