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 tongue in and out. Members of the audience in that region believe that the snake's ability to deliver venomous bites comes from its tongue, rather than fangs. Snakes subjected to this practice soon die of starvation or mouth infection, and must be replaced by freshly caught specimens. Similar methods are used in India, where snakes are defanged and have their poison sacks incapacitated. They are then also kept in boxes or bags for 30–45 days and dehydrated so that their muscles cramp (making them sluggish) and so that they will drink the milk offered by devotees at festivals (the milk is undigestible to the snake).