The snake is dead. Sorry, folks. No, we didn't make him dead on purpose just to take these stupid pictures.

A dead venomous snake is not completely safe to fool around with especially if it is recently deceased. Which this specimen wasn't. But the person playing stunt double for Rastus Ledbetter in the photos is not nearly as stupid as he looks.

Freehandling venomous snakes (especially in conjunction with alcohol consumption) is STUPID. It is something Rastus Ledbetter would do. I hope it is not something you will ever do, because the bad publicity when someone is bitten reflects very badly on all of us venomous keepers and may give legislators an excuse to pass more restrictive laws. Please be safe and professional at all times when you handle venomous snakes. Thanks.