"Deserves an Oscar": Video of Venomous Rinkhals Playing Dead Leaves Mzansi Creeped Out

• A viral video of a venomous rinkhals snake showing unusual defensive behaviour has left Mzansi shocked and amused
• The clip, shared by the African Snakebite Institute, has sparked massive online reactions as viewers praised the reptile’s dramatic display
• Social media users flooded the comments with humour and awe, jokingly calling the snake a "drama king" and saying it "deserves an Oscar"

A viral video of a venomous rinkhals snake dramatically pretending to be dead has left Mzansi creeped out and fascinated.

The clip, which has been making the rounds on social media, shows the snake lying motionless on the grass, its body twisted and tongue slightly out, perfectly mimicking a lifeless reptile.

At first glance, the snake appears dead, with its body tangled and still. The uncanny display of defensive behaviour has shocked viewers, with many saying the creature “deserves an Oscar” for its performance.

The rinkhals, also known as the ring-necked spitting cobra, is native to southern Africa and is known for its ability to feign death as a defence mechanism when threatened. Unlike other cobras, this species doesn’t always rely on spitting venom or striking; sometimes, it tricks predators by pretending to be dead until danger passes.

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Mzansi social media users couldn’t hide their mix of fear and amusement at the reptile’s performance in the video, which was uploaded on Facebook by the African Snakebite Institute on 12 November 2025.

The eerie yet impressive clip has since gained thousands of views, leaving many South Africans marvelling at nature’s clever survival tactics and jokingly nominating the snake for an Oscar-worthy performance.

SA reacts to a snake playing dead in a video

Social media users of Mzansi took to the comments section to share their thoughts on the snake's performance, saying:

Steve Vho Stivela Mothibi said:

"The drama queen of the snake world!"

Amanda Baard added:

"So dramatically cute!"

Geranique Abrahams wrote:

"He deserves an Oscar."

Evan Thomson shared:

"They outclass hognose acting by a country mile, which is technically problematic for clueless humans but shows better adaptation for preventing predation on behalf of the rinkhals."

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Grant Jacobs replied:

"Dangerous..But beautiful!"

Elmien Blignaut stated:

"Beauty and very naughty playing dead."

Kenneth Mautso commented:

"The drama queen, Rinkhaks, is highly venomous."

Khumalo Dinah expressed:

"The real drama king..highly venomous drama king."

Watch the video below:

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Source: Briefly News