# "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:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**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 26, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/21 "2011-11-26T23:36:54Z")
Can you devenom a snake without defanging it? ---
**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 27, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/22 "2011-11-27T02:26:59Z")
> [@EllyaX](#): > > 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. A) How do you know that the mouths are stitched shut? B) If that were the case, he would have had no reason to take the broom to move that one snake. ---
**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 27, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/23 "2011-11-27T03:28:11Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Can you devenom a snake without defanging it? It can and is done, but I believe it is just a little tricky to do right ( i.e. without seriously compromising the animal ). As you can see [the venom gland](http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/182/a/e/Rattlesnake_venom_glands_by_silvercrossfox.jpg) at least in these [pit viper examples](http://visual.merriam-webster.com/images/animal-kingdom/reptiles/snake/morphology-venomous-snake-head.jpg) are not [small organs](http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/studentresearch/costarica03/venom/anatomy.jpg) relative to the head. Alternatively you can try to seal the duct at the fang, which has the benefit/drawback of being possibly temporary as fangs are shed and a connection can be reestablished. In the pet trade de-venomed snakes are often called “venomoids” and it is considered a slightly shady practice as it often done in a backyard manner. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/24 "2011-11-27T17:53:15Z")
There is definitely one that is trying to strike, and it’s the one he later moves with the broom. You see him moving his hand away rather quickly from that one as it tries to bite it. So he at least sees some danger. However, I never see it open its mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/25 "2011-12-03T01:43:37Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > 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! It does indeed get cold in Thailand, in the mountainous areas. When I lived up North, it would get down to freezing at night, literally, at about this time of year but warm up in the daytime. Since I had no hot water back then, I could not bathe until the afternoon. Every year sees some people in those areas dying of exposure. That could be in Thailand or a neighboring country. The wife says she has never heard of anyone sewing snakes’ mouths’ shut here, but then she’s not paid that much attention to snake news. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/26 "2011-12-03T04:15:46Z")
I visited a poisonous snake “factory” in Wuzhou China circa 1986. 60 year old grandmother types were slinging around cobras and other very venomous snakes like pizza dough. The snakes were live and didn’t have their mouths stitched shut. The snakes were used for Chinese medicine and for poisonous snake in a bottle of booze stuff. Creeped me out and I don’t like snakes. The women working there could have been in a restaurant kitchen slinging sharp knives and chatting loudly back and forth. I’ve got pictures buried away somewhere… ---
**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:** [December 3, 2011, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-the-cobra-pit-video-is-this-guy-really-that-fearless-or-is-there-a-trick-involved/603997/27 "2011-12-03T05:16:18Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > I visited a poisonous snake “factory” in Wuzhou China circa 1986. 60 year old grandmother types were slinging around cobras and other very venomous snakes like pizza dough. The snakes were live and didn’t have their mouths stitched shut. > > The snakes were used for Chinese medicine and for poisonous snake in a bottle of booze stuff. > > Creeped me out and I don’t like snakes. The women working there could have been in a restaurant kitchen slinging sharp knives and chatting loudly back and forth. I’ve got pictures buried away somewhere… Cobra Scorpion Whiskey? I’ve heard of that stuff. [Previous 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=1)