While herpetology experts told Snopes no such snake species exists in the wild, the video's backstory was unknown. It was unclear whether it showed a staged scene — that is, if the hair-like matter was attached to a real reptile — or if it was created using artificial-intelligence (AI) software. Also, it was possible the video showed a particular snake with a rare biological deformity.
In March 2024, a video circulated on social media supposedly showing a snake with what appeared to be a tuft of white, stark hair akin to that of the main character in the 1935 film, "Bride of Frankenstein." For instance, a post on X (formerly Twitter), archived here, had received more than 23.8 million views at the time of this publication.
What kind of snake is this? pic.twitter.com/bvnoddZzhK
— The Best (@ThebestFigen) March 20, 2024
Some users nicknamed the snake the "Don King Cobra" (archive) or "Don King Snake" (archive) based on its alleged resemblance to the former American boxing promoter's memorable hair.
If the snake seemed like something from a science-fiction flick, that's because it was more likely to appear in a film than in real life. No snake species with a hair-like tuft exists in the wild, according to amphibian and reptile researcher Rachel Keeffe, who analyzed the footage for Snopes. "No snakes known to science have hair like that depicted in the video," said Keeffe, of Mount Holyoke College's Department of Biological Sciences.
That said, we can't rule out the possibility that the snake had some sort of deformity. It was unknown who recorded the footage, making it impossible for Snopes to ask about it.
In other words, it was unknown whether the footage was an authentic documentation of a real reptile, either with a biological deformity or an object placed on its head, or whether it was a creation possible via digital-editing or artificial-intelligence (AI) software.
"I'd imagine the video was achieved by either gluing a tuft of fur to the snake's head or adding it in via video editing or AI," wrote Keeffe in an email.
In an attempt to piece together the video's origin story, Snopes conducted a reverse-image search using a screenshot from the video via Google Lens (archive). We found the clip had been shared on various platforms in February 2024, including YouTube (archive), Instagram (archive), TikTok (archive), 9gag (archive), Reddit (archive), and BitChute (archive).
Based on our research, the earliest iteration of the video was posted on YouTube on Feb. 5, 2024, (archive) with the title, "Feather on cobra snakes."
Snopes attempted to contact the owner of that YouTube account by email to ask who recorded, or created, the footage. We received an error message.
The Snake's Distinct 'Spectacles' Pattern
Rayna Bell, an herpetology expert at the California Academy of Sciences, agreed with Keeffe: No such snake species with a hair-like tuft is known to science. In an email to Snopes, she acknowledged the snake has "something on its head" but was unable to determine what the object was.
Keeffe said the snake appeared to be an Indian or spectacled cobra, scientific name Naja naja, which is native to its namesake nation in Southeast Asia.
Keeffe said the species is famous for a "spectacles" pattern on their hoods. (That pattern is visible in the in-question video.) The San Diego Zoo describes their appearance as having "two circular patterns connected by a curved line that looks like the cobra is wearing glasses or spectacles." The markings resemble eyes, which can be used to trick potential predators.
The Indian cobra has historically been used by snake charmers (the practice was banned in 1991) and plays an important role in the ecosystem by consuming large numbers of rats, according to the zoo.
Snopes has debunked other rumors related to snakes, including whether a "snow snake" could kill people by freezing their blood and if copperhead snakes were once found living inside fish caught by anglers.