Snake Charmers in Morocco

Snake dancing, originally uploaded by Just a guy who likes to take pictures.

Snake charming, a typical performance in which snakes are made to sway or dance, is commonly attributed to India, but it has practiced for several centuries in Asian countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia, as well as North African countries such as Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

Ancient Egypt was home to a kind of snake charming, but the current practice is believed to have originated in India and then spread throughout Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The popular species of snakes are the common snakes found locally, though various varieties of cobras are preferred by snake charmers and their audiences.

In India, the Indian cobra is commonly seen with snake charmers, though some charmers may also use Russell's vipers, Indian and Burmese pythons and some other local species of snakes. In African countries such as Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, Egyptian cobras, puff adders, carpet vipers and horned desert vipers are commonly featured in snake charming performances.