# Baby Plays With Cobra **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 8, 2007, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198 "2007-05-08T05:56:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/21 "2007-05-08T17:18:33Z")
Poor snake. > [@](#): > > Snake charmers defang their animals to avoid lethal bites while still giving the impression they are handling deadly snakes. Defanging often leads to the premature death of the snake. Despite laws against both unlicensed ownership of a cobra and defanging, snake charmers still perform in India. From [here](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/01/0121_030121_snakesavior_2.html) ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/22 "2007-05-08T17:22:51Z")
It’s a _baby_. Okay, I can understand a kid playing with (defanged, non-poisonous) snakes when they grow up, but a baby? a) Baby decides to put snake in mouth, squeeze it too hard, whack it, etc. Hilarity does not ensue. b) Baby toddles off after being relieved of snake. Sees another snake–_not_ defanged or non-poisonous–and thinks “oh, wow, another playmate!” Who thought this was a good idea? ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/23 "2007-05-08T17:32:16Z")
[QUOTE=Honey] Poor snake. > [@](#): > > Snake charmers defang their animals to avoid lethal bites while still giving the impression they are handling deadly snakes. Defanging often leads to the premature death of the snake. Despite laws against both unlicensed ownership of a cobra and defanging, snake charmers still perform in India. From [here](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/01/0121_030121_snakesavior_2.html) [/QUOTE] What’s just as bad (if not worse) is there are procedures to remove the venom glands but not the fangs. Somehow (I don’t know the science behind it) there have been plenty of cases where the snakes who had this procedure and were venom less for a time were able to produce venom after a time. Not only is it cruel to do this to a snake, but it’s dangerous for people to be handling snakes that they are not absolutely sure have no venom. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/24 "2007-05-08T18:03:33Z")
How horrible, being attacked by a strange creature who just…will…not…stop…, will not leave you in peace… I truly feel sorry for the snake ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/25 "2007-05-08T18:20:38Z")
There’s a more extensive [clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBnwyLcZ2nI) on YouTube. The description says it’s a village that teaches their kids not to fear cobras because there are so many around. Sounds stupid to me, but whatever. Maybe it’s a small Pentacostal cult somewhere in India? It looks to me like they’ve sewn the snakes’ mouths shut. The angles aren’t good for viewing in the video, but I can’t see the snake opening it’s mouth anywhere in it. (It does run it’s tongue out a couple times, but that would just mean they didn’t go to the trouble of sewing up the tongue channel.) This would be easier and take less know-how than defanging them; it’s what they often do here for rattlesnake rodeos. And it’s just damn evil IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/26 "2007-05-08T18:28:09Z")
[QUOTE=redtail23] There’s a more extensive [clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBnwyLcZ2nI) on YouTube. The description says it’s a village that teaches their kids not to fear cobras because there are so many around. Sounds stupid to me, but whatever. Maybe it’s a small Pentacostal cult somewhere in India? It looks to me like they’ve sewn the snakes’ mouths shut. The angles aren’t good for viewing in the video, but I can’t see the snake opening it’s mouth anywhere in it. (It does run it’s tongue out a couple times, but that would just mean they didn’t go to the trouble of sewing up the tongue channel.) This would be easier and take less know-how than defanging them; it’s what they often do here for rattlesnake rodeos. And it’s just damn evil IMO. [/QUOTE] It’s a hell of a lot better than slaughtering the snakes wholesale like they do with rattlesnake rodeos. I’m not sure why it would be stupid to acclimate children to the presence of a reptile that is ubiquitous in their environment. Sounds fairly intelligent to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/27 "2007-05-08T18:33:12Z")
Hell, I’d much prefer that the snake’s mouth were sewn shut. It’s easier on the snake than gland removal or defanging. But either way, if this is a village thaat teaches its children not to fear the presence of cobras, _shrug_. Good for them. This is a culture that developed in the presence of cobras. I’d reckon they know how to handle it. ---
**Author:** ![Subway\_Prophet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/28 "2007-05-08T19:23:23Z")
Isn’t salmonella a concern when handling reptiles? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/29 "2007-05-08T19:27:25Z")
[QUOTE=Subway Prophet] Isn’t salmonella a concern when handling reptiles? [/QUOTE] You mean more so than the enteric bacteria hazard introduced by having a baby crawl around bareassed on a cheap bamboo mat in the dirt? I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/30 "2007-05-08T19:30:13Z")
I’m fond of snakes, but I wouldn’t want to “acclimate” my children into playing with rattlers or copperheads. Why? Because most of 'em out there don’t have their mouths sewn shut. Kids won’t be afraid of snakes unless the adults around freak out when they see one; that’s all the “acclimating” that’s required. I used to take my snake out to local festivals, etc. Kids swarmed for a chance to pet a snake. Do you think that baby is old enough to know the difference between a “safe” cobra and a wild one? It’s difficult enough to convince babies and toddlers to leave things alone when they’re always told to. How in hell would you get them to leave something alone after you’ve encouraged them to play with it? I wouldn’t encourage kids that age to play with any snakes, just because it’s mean to the snake. When they’re old enough to learn how to handle snakes properly, how to tell which ones are poisonous, etc., then I wouldn’t have a problem. You seem to be working under the strange assumption that they’re going to kindly unsew the snake’s mouth and turn it loose. Seems unlikely to me. I don’t have as much problem with the snakes killed outright at rodeos as those that wander off and starve because they can’t eat. YMMV, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/31 "2007-05-08T19:41:43Z")
[QUOTE=Kythereia] It’s a _baby_. Okay, I can understand a kid playing with (defanged, non-poisonous) snakes when they grow up, but a baby? a) Baby decides to put snake in mouth, squeeze it too hard, whack it, etc. Hilarity does not ensue. b) Baby toddles off after being relieved of snake. Sees another snake–_not_ defanged or non-poisonous–and thinks “oh, wow, another playmate!” Who thought this was a good idea? [/QUOTE] I think there are lots of cultural blinders on in this thread. Let’s try repeating those points with an animal more common to \*\*our \*\*homes: \*It’s a _baby_. Okay, I can understand a kid playing with (defanged, non-poisonous) dogs when they grow up, but a baby? a) Baby decides to put dog in mouth, squeeze it too hard, whack it, etc. Hilarity does not ensue. b) Baby toddles off after being relieved of dog. Sees another dog–_not_ defanged or non-poisonous–and thinks “oh, wow, another playmate!” Who thought this was a good idea?\* If anything, a dog, is a far \*more \*potentially dangerous animal to have around a baby than a defanged or sewn snake. You can’t remove dogs’ teeth, or sew their mouths shut, or remove all their toenails (the most common injuries I’ve witnessed kids get from dogs is scratches from a friendly paw, not a bite) or remove their high-speed whippy tails. While the family dog might be friendly, the next dog a baby comes into contact with might be a stray, or a dog bred for fighting, or a dog that doesn’t like kids. So why is there no outrage about babies patting dogs on youtube? On second viewing, there is one thing I’m NOT thrilled about in that clip, and that is that they’re teaching the kid to ignore the snake’s warning signs. A snake reared up like that with a flared hood is giving a clear “back off” sign, and I’d be more comfortable if they taught the kid that that signal means back away. That would be teaching responsible herpetology for a kid growing up in an area with a lot of cobras. But of course if they’re being taught to handle snakes, they need them flared to get the tourist bucks, because it looks better. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/32 "2007-05-08T19:48:48Z")
[QUOTE=redtail23] I’m fond of snakes, but I wouldn’t want to “acclimate” my children into playing with rattlers or copperheads. Why? Because most of 'em out there don’t have their mouths sewn shut. Kids won’t be afraid of snakes unless the adults around freak out when they see one; that’s all the “acclimating” that’s required. I used to take my snake out to local festivals, etc. Kids swarmed for a chance to pet a snake. Do you think that baby is old enough to know the difference between a “safe” cobra and a wild one? It’s difficult enough to convince babies and toddlers to leave things alone when they’re always told to. How in hell would you get them to leave something alone after you’ve encouraged them to play with it? I wouldn’t encourage kids that age to play with any snakes, just because it’s mean to the snake. When they’re old enough to learn how to handle snakes properly, how to tell which ones are poisonous, etc., then I wouldn’t have a problem. You seem to be working under the strange assumption that they’re going to kindly unsew the snake’s mouth and turn it loose. Seems unlikely to me. I don’t have as much problem with the snakes killed outright at rodeos as those that wander off and starve because they can’t eat. YMMV, I guess. [/QUOTE] Again, _shrug_. They’ve been doing it for probably thousands of years. I’ll defer the expertise on cobra acclimation to them. They seem to know what they’re doing. As for the snake itself, yes it’s deplorable if it is allowed to starve. The Indian King Cobra is an endangered species. Of course, so is the Eastern Diamondback Rattler, and dead is dead, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/33 "2007-05-08T19:54:37Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] If anything, a dog, is a far \*more \*potentially dangerous animal to have around a baby than a defanged or sewn snake. You can’t remove dogs’ teeth, or sew their mouths shut, or remove all their toenails (the most common injuries I’ve witnessed kids get from dogs is scratches from a friendly paw, not a bite) or remove their high-speed whippy tails. While the family dog might be friendly, the next dog a baby comes into contact with might be a stray, or a dog bred for fighting, or a dog that doesn’t like kids. [/QUOTE] Point taken. 🙂 I still wince at the thought of a baby playing with a snake, until it’s old enough to know what it’s handling, both for the sake of the baby’s safety and the snake’s, but if they know how to be careful and that not all snakes are harmless–well, cool. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/34 "2007-05-08T19:55:09Z")
[QUOTE=Kythereia] It’s a _baby_. [/QUOTE] Nope! Although (s)he looks like a “baby”, that is actually Krishnaperziiae, a minor deity. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/35 "2007-05-08T20:35:09Z")
My number 2 son is the same age as the kid on the video, just about to crawl. That snake, when he gets a hold of it, will be promptly shoved into his mouth. Than be used to hit other objects with to make loud enjoyable sounds. If the snake escapes without getting a coating of boogers it is lucky. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/36 "2007-05-08T23:09:27Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] You can’t remove dogs’ teeth, or sew their mouths shut, or remove all their toenails or remove their high-speed whippy tails. [/QUOTE] I’ve got fifty bucks and a pair of pliers that say I can. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/37 "2007-05-08T23:32:03Z")
I didn’t find it too disturbing until the baby grabbed the cobra, and the cobra went apeshit. It makes me wonder why the filming was cut off so abrubtly. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/38 "2007-05-08T23:34:46Z")
[QUOTE=Batsinma Belfry] I didn’t find it too disturbing until the baby grabbed the cobra, and the cobra went apeshit. It makes me wonder why the filming was cut off so abrubtly. [/QUOTE] What do you imagine happened? Actually, I’ll tell you what happened. The cobra panicked and smeared the smelly contents of its cloaca all over everything it could. So baby got a bath. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/39 "2007-05-09T00:50:46Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] Please do. I think it’s kind of incomprehensible to us why people would let their baby play with a cobra, but it might make perfect sense in a different culture. [/QUOTE] Please. I’m Hindu and don’t know anybody who would do this. But herpetologists, they’re a whole culture to themselves, arent’ they? And I also felt mroe sorry for the poor snake. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198/40 "2007-05-09T01:21:06Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] Please. I’m Hindu and don’t know anybody who would do this. [/QUOTE] I’m not sure what your being Hindu has to do with it. I’m pretty sure you’re not conversant with the mindsets of members of each and every Hindu subculture, village, and sect, any more than I’m conversant with each and every Christian sect. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-plays-with-cobra/403198.md?page=3)