A young snake charmer died after letting a cobra dangle from his mouth.

Footage shows Mochi Shivaraj posing in the middle of a road as the 4ft venomous serpent hung from his mouth in Telangana state, India, on September 6.

He pressed his hands together while the snake appeared to sink its fangs into his mouth. He is then seen combing back his hair with his fingers while the reptile wriggles around.

Mochi later died after the cobra reportedly bit him in the mouth and injected its deadly toxin into his bloodstream.

Local media reported that the youth and his father made a living as snake catchers. They were said to have caught the cobra in the Kamareddy district, with Mochi performing the fatal stunt 'to go viral on the internet' and advertise their services.

Numerous species of cobra live on the Indian subcontinent. They are revered as mythical Nagas or snake-like beings in Hindu mythology, symbolising death and rebirth.

Cobra venom contains neurotoxins that target the nervous system by blocking the transmission of nerve signals to muscles.

The blockage leads to respiratory failure, suffocation, or cardiac arrest as the diaphragm and other muscles needed to breathe are paralysed.

Depending on the species, cobra venom can kill from within 30 minutes to a few hours.