How To Clean A Snake Survival Food

The first step in preparing a snake for supper is to cut off the head. If the snake is venomous or if you are unsure, then berry the head. Fangs from a dead snake are nothing to take chances with.

Now that the head has been removed take a look at the belly of the snake and locate its anus aka vent. It will be much closer to the tail end than the head end.

Insert a knife or scissors into the snake's anal vent and cut upward towards the head, not to the top/back of the snake. This cut will open up the gut cavity that runs from the head to the anus.

Using a sharp clean knife if you have one carefully cut under the skin where the head was attached. Getting this started is the hardest part of skinning. There will be what seems like threads holding the muscle to the skin. Cut this leaving as little meat on the skin as possible.

Once you have a couple of inches of the skin separate you can continue skinning by pulling the skin away. Grip the snake's body with one hand and the skin with the other hand. Pull gently, but steadily, pull harder and harder until the skin pulls free from the body. As the skin pulls away keep moving your hand near where the skin is still attached and continue until the entire skin has been removed.

Sometimes when you reach the anus things will get more difficult. If it is giving you trouble then slit the tail open belly side and finish skinning the snake.

Now remove all of the guts from the gut cavity. Remove everything. Wipe the cavity clean and rinse.

Chop it into manageable pieces and cook as if it were a piece of fish or chicken. Enjoy!