A snake-swallowing daredevil has died after a viper bit his tongue and throat and caused a horrific allergic reaction.
Video shows the farm worker, 55, performing a “trick” in which he traps the snake in his mouth in front of workmates in a watermelon field in Astrakhan, Russia.
According to reports, the man had already twice put the viper down his throat before.
The footage shows that the snake bit the man’s tongue on his third attempt.
The bite of the snake, while it can be fatal to humans, isn’t considered poisonous.
A few hours later the unnamed melon farmer was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with Quincke’s edema after his tongue and throat swelled after an “allergic reaction”.
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He was reported to have suffered anaphylactic shock.
His tongue “could barely fit in his mouth” and he was left gasping for breath, said one report.
Antrakhan 24, reports that despite all the efforts of doctors at Kharabalinskiy’s district hospital, he was not saved.
According to locals, snake-swallowing is a very popular trick.
The News outlet Punkt-A confirmed the snake was a steppe vicper that was found among the stems from picked watermelons.
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The report said: “The steppe viper is poisonous, but only insects can truly fear it.
“For humans, the poison is not dangerous.”
The agricultural worker “died solely from an allergic reaction similar to what may occur with a wasp sting”.
According to the report, locals should refrain from swallowing serpents.
It went on: “You just should not try to swallow a snake or carry out any other experiments if you are not sure that it may end up in an unfavourable way for you.”
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