Venomoid surgery

Venomoid surgery is a surgical procedure performed on venomous snakes to prevent them from producing venom. The procedure has been used for snakes kept as pets or used in public demonstrations in order to remove the risk of injury or death when handled, but is considered unethical by some and is illegal in some jurisdictions. Most venomoid procedures consist of either removing the venom gland itself, or severing the duct between the gland and the fang. Removal of fangs is uncommon, as snakes frequently regenerate teeth, and the more invasive procedure of removing the underlying maxillary bone would be fatal. However, the duct and gland have been known to regenerate, and supposedly "safe" snakes have killed mice and successfully envenomated humans.

Advocates of this procedure state that it is done for safety reasons and have published methods for this surgery. However, this procedure is highly controversial among herpetologists, and is considered animal cruelty by many experts on venomous snakes, particularly in reference to the procedure being performed by unlicensed hobbyists with inadequate analgesia. For instance, a veterinarian review on reptile surgery published in 2006 stated that "such practices should be discouraged" due to both ethical and animal welfare concerns.