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
Banded racer 1060 mm (3.5 feet); tail 220 mm (8.5 inches). Shaw's original description of the species was based on a plate in Russell, Ind. Serp. (1796). Banded racer The banded racer ("Argyrogena fasciolata") is a species of colubrid snake, the genus Argyrogena. It is found in India except for North Bengal and Kashmir, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. Snout obtuse, curved and prominent; rostral large, broader than wide, the portion visible from above more than half its length from the frontal; suture between the internasals as long as that between the prefrontals or a little shorter; frontal nearly as long