# "Cleaning the cobra pit" video. Is this guy really that fearless or is there a trick involved? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 24, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997 "2011-11-24T19:09:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/1 "2011-11-24T19:09:25Z")
[“Cleaning the cobra pit”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIMigVo1pyA) Astonishing video (to me) Guy seems utterly fearless. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/2 "2011-11-24T19:16:54Z")
> [@astro](#): > > [“Cleaning the cobra pit”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIMigVo1pyA) > > Astonishing video (to me) Guy seems utterly fearless. Wow, I will agree with astonishing video. I will also take a WAG to your question and say that it is neither a trick or is he fearless. He’s a moron. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/3 "2011-11-24T19:25:10Z")
They could very well have been de-fanged, which is a common trick among snake-charmers. Not necessarily a nice one either as the de-fanging is often done roughly and snake attrition can be high. Another trick is to stitch the mouth closed so only the flicking tongue can emerge, giving the illusion that the snake can bite. On the other hand maybe these snakes are just habituated AND this guy is an idiot. Venomous snakes aren’t necessarily any more aggressive on average than non-venomous ones and some species can become perfectly tame such that they very rarely bite. Of course very rarely isn’t the same as never which is why handling even very tame intact venomous snakes casually is idiotic. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/4 "2011-11-25T02:40:27Z")
I am voting for he knows thes snakes can’t hurt him- notice not one strikes. I think thier mouths are sewn shut, which is horribly cruel, as is the way he is handling them. Disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/5 "2011-11-25T03:37:13Z")
It also looks like it is a bit cool for the snakes. They are all piled with each other for warmth. So they may well be “groggy”. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/6 "2011-11-25T04:01:27Z")
If their mouths are sown shut that does indeed suck but I don’t think this guy is being particularly rough with them. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/7 "2011-11-25T04:19:59Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > If their mouths are sown shut that does indeed suck but I don’t think this guy is being particularly rough with them. I didn’t think so either. They look like they can handle it. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/8 "2011-11-25T05:45:15Z")
There are 2 or 3 snakes on the center of the platform behind him take appear to be dead. ---
**Author:** ![FlyByNight512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@FlyByNight512](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyByNight512)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/9 "2011-11-25T05:48:19Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I didn’t think so either. They look like they can handle it. I’m certainly not a qualified snake handler, but that was my thought too. He’s tossing them a few feet, not slamming them against the wall. If their mouths are sewn shut, though, that’s awful. How long can they keep them alive like that? Do they have to unstitch their mouths every so often to feed them? Ugh, now my laptop power cable looks like a snake. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/10 "2011-11-25T14:12:44Z")
Well, I still think he was handling them too roughly. They are living, breathing animals that can feel pain like any other. Would you still think he was handling those OK if those were puppies or kittens he was tossing? I noticed the ones behind him that look dead, too. As to how they eat with their mouths sewn, I assume they don’t. Snakes can go several weeks without eating in the natural scheme of things. They probably keep the snakes until they starve to death and then simply bring in more. Again- Disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/11 "2011-11-25T19:01:27Z")
I didn’t watch the video but if they are cobras the dead snakes may be dinner. Cobras eat other snakes. On the other hand, snakes can do a pretty good dead imitation. Without seeing it I can only guess but based on my experience with snakes I would not be surprised if the snakes were somewhat “tame” or as Tamerlane put it “habituated.” ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/12 "2011-11-25T19:05:16Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > It also looks like it is a bit cool for the snakes. They are all piled with each other for warmth. Does that work for cold-blooded animals? I guess it would, actually. Limiting surface area would slow the heat loss. Huh. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/13 "2011-11-25T19:28:36Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > Cobras eat other snakes. Those look like Monocled Cobras to me ( who are apparently pretty mellow as cobras go ), which are pretty broad generalists. They _will_ eat other snakes, but they are not necessarily a major prey item. Anyway the few dead-looking ones just look like part of the clean up in the pit, rather than food. For one thing they’re about the same size as other occupants. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/14 "2011-11-25T19:45:11Z")
Maybe they have a mongoose waiting around? 😉 There’s NO WAY I’m watching that, (totally snake-phobic) but do they really stitch a snake’s mouth closed? Why wouldn’t they just defang and/or devenom them? That’s so fucked up. (I would think it would be a lot easier to defang the damned thing than to stitch its fucking mouth closed) I mean, I hate snakes with a bloody passion, but damned, that’s fucking cruel. If they do, I hope one of them manages to get it free and bite the ever loving shit out of him. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/15 "2011-11-25T20:02:55Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > Well, I still think he was handling them too roughly. They are living, breathing animals that can feel pain like any other. > > Would you still think he was handling those OK if those were puppies or kittens he was tossing? Aren’t you the one who’s _hit_ her dogs? And different animals can be handled differently. You might as well be screaming “he’s picking them up by their TAILS. Would you still think it’s OK to pick up an animal by its tail if he was doing that to a puppy?” He was picking up the snakes and giving them pretty gentle little tosses a couple feet away. Feel free to keep ranting about their mouths being sown shut (even though that’s speculation anyway) but give it a rest in regards to how this particular guy is handling them. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/16 "2011-11-25T20:28:09Z")
“Cleaning the cobra pit” sound like a euphamism for something dirty. Or maybe it’s just me. As for the video, the setting looks a bit 3rd-worldy to me. The kind of place where, “Yeah, they’ll probably leave you alone if you don’t screw with 'em too much” would pass for training & job safety. Maybe they go through cage cleaners with some regularity and this guy either doesn’t know that or needs the money. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/17 "2011-11-25T20:47:41Z")
They’re clearly groggy - the couple that are standing/paying attention to him he avoids for the most part, using the broom to move the one. If he does it enough, he’s acclimated to them and them to him - he knows if there is about to be a problem. I sincerely hope they haven’t defanged or sewn thier mouths shut, and I see no reason to think they have or that this is a trick - other than the area obviously being cooled to calm/slow the snakes. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/18 "2011-11-25T22:29:28Z")
I’ve now watched the video, most of it anyway. Here’s my opinion. 1. The snakes don’t appear groggy or chilled to me. There’s a comment indicating that this may be in Thailand and it appears to be outdoors. Does it even get cold in Thailand? I think the ones “standing up” appear quite alert and focused on the cleaning guy. 2.I wasn’t expecting that many snakes. I think the dead ones are just ones that have died for whatever reason. Based on the video I’m thinking they may not even feed them and just get more as they die off. 3.The guy is clearly very alert to any snakes that may be troublemakers so I’m thinking they must not be sewn or he wouldn’t be concerned. I think he’s done this a million times and knows his snakes. 2. If this was in Thailand these snakes may all have been liberated by the flooding! ---
**Author:** ![EllyaX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/85f322/32.png) [@EllyaX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllyaX)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/19 "2011-11-26T23:09:46Z")
This is an old video and yes the snakes mouths are stitched shut. And no they don’t unstitch them, they let them starve to death. There are several dead snakes you can see in the video. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/20 "2011-11-26T23:24:49Z")
> [@](#): > > At home, snake charmers keep their animals in containers such as baskets, boxes, pots, or sacks. They must then train the creatures before bringing them out into public. For those charmers who do not de-fang their pets, this may include introducing the snake to a hard object similar to the pungi. The snake supposedly learns that striking the object only causes pain.[citation needed] > > For safety, North African snake charmers typically stitch closed the mouth of their performing snakes, leaving just enough opening for the animal to be able to move its tongue in and out. Since the members of the audience in that region typically believe that the snake’s ability to deliver venomous bites comes from its tongue, rather than fangs[2], the public remains satisfied watching the snakes’ tongues flickering through the remaining opening.[2] The downside for the snakes is that they soon die of starvation or mouth infection, and have to be replaced by freshly caught specimens > **[Snake charming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_charming)** > > Snake charming is the practice of appearing to hypnotize a snake (often a cobra) by playing and waving around an instrument called a pungi. A typical performance may also include handling the snakes or performing other seemingly dangerous acts, as well as other street performance staples, like juggling and sleight of hand. The practice was historically the profession of some tribesmen in India well into the 20th century but snake charming declined rapidly after the government banned the practic... The guy is in no danger at all, and he knows it. That’s why it appears as if he “knows his snakes.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997.md?page=2)