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 cat-eyed snake Banded cat-eyed snake The banded cat-eyed snake ("Leptodeira annulata") is a species of medium-sized, mildly venomous, colubrid snake endemic to the New World. Additional common names include: cat-eyed night snake, "come sapo, culebra de pantano, culebra destenida, machete savane, mapana de agua, mapana tigre", and "ranera". It is found in Mexico, Central America, and South America, including the offshore islands of Margarita, and Trinidad and Tobago. Adults are about 750 mm (30 in) long and very slender. The head is distinct from the neck, and the large eyes have vertically elliptic pupils. The back is yellowish or brown with a