# Snake charmers....what is the deal?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-charmers-what-is-the-deal/338077>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 2, 2006, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-charmers-what-is-the-deal/338077 "2006-01-02T14:22:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-charmers-what-is-the-deal/338077/1 "2006-01-02T14:22:03Z")

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We’ve all see the cartoons about an hindu man blowing his little horn and out of a basket rises a snake ( usually a cobra).  
Is this an actual ‘job’ in India or something from days gone by that is a perpetuated image.

Also, is it possible to actually ‘charm’ snakes with a horn like that?

Thank you .

I’ve watched too much Bugs Bunny.

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**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-charmers-what-is-the-deal/338077/2 "2006-01-02T15:00:56Z")

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Not sure if it is an actual “job”.

Sure the snake can’t hear the little horn but it watches the back and forth motion of the horn intently. Pretty sure that the snake can’t strike further than it’s head is raised so the “charmer” just stays out of strike range. Also, snakes become accoustomed to being handled after a while so the “charmer” is petty safe.

The bit about the snake becoming accoustomed to being handled is from personal experience. The bit about the snakes hearing and strike range is rumor and conjecture.

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**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-charmers-what-is-the-deal/338077/3 "2006-01-02T15:09:43Z")

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Gotta love [Wikipedia.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake-charming)