cobra wine

Thats disgusting!!!

You know that a lot of times they take ratsnakes and stretch them out to look like that. My mom got me one of those things in a bottle because she knew I liked snakes and I got mad at her.

I got a rattlesnake mount from my dad for christmas, its kool, but not worth the death of the snake. I keep it on the back of my toilet in my bathroom, guests usually freak out, lol

A.J.

Well, its no rat snake I can tell you that much! It is some naja species, I am just attempting to establish the specific species. I have kept various cobras, and am still stumped by this one! Needless to say that a portion of a snake stuffed in a jar is not the easiest to identify.

By the way...This item is used in my presentations to demonstrate the exploitation of snakes, espically in the Asian countries. It really drives the point home that these people believe some crazy things with no scientific backing to their stories! It is a sad end for a beautiful snake, but the "stuffed" (freezedried) rattlesnakes that come from the roundups are even more upsetting to me! As citizens of the USA I guess I expect a better understanding and treatment of animals...I suppose snakes are another story where civilization is meaningless...Asian nations have been using snakes for hundreds of years, but recently their consumption of our natural resources has caused expoential growth of the rodent population, a disease increase, and a serious threat to the snakes survival in the wild!

I have no doubt this is a cobra, but I need to know more! Please closely examine the body and scales...the ventral side clearly is that of a cobra, and not a corn/rat/etc...all of those species have a "split" ventral scale section, while the cobras are all one big scale the whole way accross the body (an overlapping set of bands), and not "checkered" at all. It also has the bands which are typical of so many juvi naja species. I don't think it looks much like a king coloration wise (hard to tell now though), and it isn't a monocled. I am guessing it may be either a banded forest cobra, or a water cobra? It doesn't appear to be the indian cobra either...I would appreciate any input greatly!

I also find it strange they would need to stretch out a boid for such a display...are you sure this is a true fact?

-Steve Clark

Its actually a hobbie some people do over here in Aussie to collect dead snakes and put them in jars. Gross aye

Did someone contact the moderaters about that guy?

Steve, I believe Dr. Wulfgang Wuster posted in responce to a query of yours about this snake. He is absolutely correct, as always. This snake is a harmless colubrid. He cited the exact or close species, but I can't remember right off hand what it was. You can easily tell it apart from ANY true Naja or other cobra-like elapid by the head structure. Also, no cobra-like elapid exhibits the sort of patterning this snake does, be they juveniles or not. Water cobras are either fully banded or completely patternless, and forest cobras as juveniles are black with some light speckling here and there. Sorry it wasn't what you were thinking, and maybe hoping, it was. It's pretty easy to distort the body of a snake and make it "hood" like that. A friend of mine has one of these bottles of "cobra" wine, containing the exact same Natricine species yours does.

To me it looks sort of like a false water cobra, but thats just my opinion. Any ways thats just wrong. Poor snake(when it was alive.)

sad end for a beautiful snake. can't believe they let people get away with that

cali

Hmm...never thought about other non-native boids it could have been...I will need to look into that one. I was actually thinking about species from Vietnam, and the surrounding areas. Given there are over 50 species in that general, over 20 venomous it is a tough call. If someone has an exact scientific name that would be cool. As far as the scales I will need to examine them another time. The face looks "smushed" which is something of interest to me...not sure if it has that apperance naturally, or if it merely damaged from being crammed into a tiny bottle. In any event, I am sure the little bottle packs a punch if consumed! ;)

-Steve Clark

The way that some people treat animals is sick but with the identification of this unfortunate lil guy, you can tell its an aquatic/semi-aquatic species by the way the nostrils are positioned at the front of the head, an adaptation which allows the snake to keep its head and the rest of its body almost completely submerged whilst still being able to breath. Its eyes also protrude slightly from its head, another feature of aquatic snakes. I think the species is Cerberus rynchops (Homalopsinae) a rear fanged species from south east asia. Kinda hard to tell with its neck brutally squashed and its corpse shuved into an alcoholic beverage, but at least your using it for the right thing and not drinking it.

i duno about anyone else but to me this snake looks like a blue beauty with its neck stretched out

Constrictors are generally much easier to deal with than hots. You get a good hold of the head and you are usually golden. Generally they bite, and then coil. In any event for the really big guys it will take several people. I believe the size of constrictor I had referenced was about 9 feet or so (just my assumption). With a viper (rhino, gaboon, puff, or other bitis for example) death is not certain, but they also hold their ground. Big snakes see you as food..others as a threat. If a big snake isn't too hungry it will usually let you be while a little viper will hold its ground if 'threatened' by your size, movement, etc. All animals have some risks...you just need to learn to reduce them as much as possible! I would rather people keep small hots over huge snakes as big ones escape! By little hot I am talking a USA indegenious species, with a goof AV supply, and a high LD50 count, and only by experienced individuals.

-Steve

my guess would be a keel back.
thanx
mike