It looks like Sean David Morton has yet another title to add to his never ending list of non-verifiable and/or non-existent claims: snake handler. More like snake-oil salesman.

In a recent issue of Morton's self published Delphi Associates newsletter, the picture to the left appeared. Morton claims that he is handling two king cobras using what he calls a "kinship with all life" technique while playing host as a tour leader. This photo to the right is only one of a few that were quite entertaining - others included Morton in a white ceremonial robe and pictures of dust specks with the flash bouncing off of them that Morton played up as mystical orbs.

Looking at this photo one can only laugh out loud. Street vendors and other street merchants in Egypt have been offering tourists the opportunity (for a small fee of course) to handle deadly snakes, scorpions, and other fierce creatures for ages. Pose with a dangerous cobra, snap a pic, and send it home showing everyone how fearless you are...for maybe a few bucks. I have a picture of a friend of mine posing with a "deadly" boa. The pose and the photo cost less than ten-dollars.

The wanna' be Indiana Jones to the left wouldn't stand a chance of picking up a wild cobra without a trip to the hospital or the morgue. We'll just write this off as yet another unproven claim made by the man with so many unproven claims. Of course, we'd all love to see a live demonstration, but I'm sure some excuse would be offered as to why Morton wouldn't be able to do it.

As for the snake handling or snake charming, the following article excerpt from Ancient Egypt Magazine on the subject of snake charmers should be of interest:

" One can detect certain similarities in the techniques between the charmers of then and now. For example, both use incantations commanding the creatures to obey them, the liberal application of spittle, curses, and the invocation of the divine. On the other hand, numerous present-day charmers, who profess to have power over venomous beasts, are unscrupulous frauds. They ply their trade using a bag of cheap showman’s tricks, such as working with cobras which have had their fangs yanked out or with cruelly sewed up mouths, or performing with non-venomous species and scorpions with the tiny poisonous barb on their curved tails removed. The passing tourist is typically unaware of the sham being played out before them, all to the tune of a simple reed-pipe. Even some Egyptologists have fallen victim to a few of these inventive deceptions, and still romantically speak of these charmers’ secret powers, that hark back to the age of the pharaohs. "

The street performers aren't the only ones taking advantage of this gig. We're not at all impressed with Morton's so-called 'powers'. Though, Morton might have a future in comedy...always good for a laugh and a shake of the head.

For more on Morton, see UFOWATCHDOG.COM's undisputed investigation The Shameless Psychic And His Prophecy Of Lies