Watch This Daredevil Pick Up One of the World’s Deadliest Snakes With His Bare Hands

This is one that you should not try yourself. In the clip below we get to someone who looks like an experienced snake handler grasp hold of a saw-scaled viper and live to tell the tale. However, this was a dangerous thing to attempt!

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The Deadly Saw Scaled Viper

The saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) is endemic to most of Asia. Whilst they are not big (they grow to about two feet long) their venom is very toxic. It is so potent, in fact, that several anticoagulant drugs have been developed using it. There are several subspecies of this snake which live in different regions.

This snake has a wide and large head that is clearly definable from the body, a rounded snout, and small scales that are keeled. Its pupils are elliptical. The skin is rough and does not reflect much light which helps it to hide against the sand and earth. This is also helped by a grey, red, pale tan, olive, or brown base color with whitish spots with dark brown edges.  

These vipers are mainly nocturnal or crepuscular and will hide away during the day. In the sort of habitat featured in this clip, they may bury themselves in the sand leaving only their head exposed. It is actually quite hard to make out the snake at the beginning of the clip.

Handling a Deadly Snake

The venom produced by this snake can be deadly – it produces hemorrhaging and coagulation defects. Medical attention is needed right away.

This guy, however, seems to be determined to annoy this particular snake. It is hanging out in its resting place beneath a thorny bush. He starts to prod it with various sticks but it is clear that it would prefer to stay where it is. He, however, has no intention of giving up.

Using a variety of sticks, he prods, lifts, and eventually drags the snake into the open. Here you see the classic sidewinding movement the snake makes as it tries to escape. It is amazingly quick considering it is using just two points of contact with the ground.

With the snake out in the open, he pins it to the ground with a stick and then pinches it (hard) on the head so that he can safely pick it up. After talking to the camera for an age he kisses it – yes, kisses it – and then releases it. After such an ordeal the poor thing probably has a sore head!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Dushan Muthunayake/Shutterstock.com