Snake charming charmers may also use Russell's vipers. Indian and Burmese pythons, and even mangrove snakes are also encountered, though they are not as popular. In North Africa, the Egyptian cobra, puff adder, carpet viper and horned desert viper are commonly featured in performances. Except for the pythons and mangrove snakes, all of these species are highly venomous. At home, snake charmers keep their animals in containers such as baskets, boxes, pots, or sacks. For safety, some North African snake charmers stitch closed the mouth of their performing snakes, leaving just enough opening for the animal to be able to move its
Florida banded water snake the lower sides is sometimes darker than the crossbands, producing an appearance of alternating blotches on the back and sides. The Florida water snake differs from the southern water snake ("N. f. fasciata") chiefly in the shape of the markings on the ventrals. In "N. f.pictiventris", these markings consist of transverse blotches, many of them enclosing an oval white spot, whereas in "N. f. fasciata", they are solid, squarish spots. Adults average in total length. They are ovoviviparous. Mating occurs from March to May, and the young are born from May to August, in broods of 25-57. The newborns are