How does a "snake charmer" train his snake?

Question

I think I could have been more clear with my last question so here goes. I have owner several snakes over many years the current snake I have I have had for about a year but I have others that I owned for many years. As for the popular "belief" that snakes are stupid and thus can not be trained, I would submit that there are many things that people "thought" could not be done and discouraged others not to do and was later proved to be untrue.

Anyway does anyone know about snake charming? I know cobras are used but what is the bases behind it? How is it done and such. Thanks!

Answer 1

As everyone else says a cobra is always used as they fixate on the movement and most "snake charmers " sew the lips of the cobra shut also they sit just out of the strike range as cobras only strike in a downward movement.

Answer 2

You can condition snakes, but not train them.

As for "charming" snakes... Cobras are used because they visually track movement. Any snake that visually tracks movement could be used. Other snakes track smell and/or heat.

So in order to use something like a rattlesnake for example you'd need to have a heat source that you waved around in its face.

Basically it's all about the movement and nothing to do with the music.

Answer 3

Often "snakes charmers" remove the fangs of  the preforming cobra or even sew the snakes mouth shut, a very cruel practice.

The snake is often startled by the sudden burst of light entering the container the snake is being held in and acts defensively by rising up. It then watches the charmers instrument, watching what it perceives as the immediate threat.

The snake is not "charmed" nor hypnotized or even trained, the Charmer just manipulates it in such a way to trigger certain natural behaviours.

Answer 4

as the person above had said, the charmers will remove the cobras fangs. B/c of this, the snake will then typically die w/in a month from a infection. Cobras are used b/c they follow movement so they will follow the movement of a flute or a hand. The appeal is that they are deadly snakes and it's the illusion that they are being hypnotized or trained. If you want to charm a ball python or a boa, #1, there's no interest b/c there is no danger. #2, it cannot be done b/c typical non venomous snakes in the pet trade will not act in the same way as a cobra does. There's no training involved, it's just the snakes own built in instinct. Snake charming is also a cruel practice and they are trying to iradicate it in central and east asia by recruiting snake charmers for venom extraction programs. So unless you're going to go out an buy a cobra and keep the fangs in, try something more productive w/ your time

Answer 5

From what I've herd, the snakes aren't actually trained in any way. They move back and forth because they are following the movement of the"snake charmer"s instrument that is played.