A salon in Dresden, Germany is getting attention for offering a neck massage from an unusual employee -- a python.
Speaking with a reporter from a German newspaper, Frank Doehlen, 50, owner of the Haar Mode Team salon, said he started the unconventional service after his visit in South Africa, when he witnessed animals doing the same.
"On a trip to South Africa came the brilliant idea. There I saw how a shaman with crawfish massaged different patients," he told the Bild, a local news outlet.
"It [Monty] is quite heavy and warm, I thought it would feel cold. Well, it lies around the neck, that's all," a customer, Hanna Haubold, told 10 News.
Indian Express said the customers availing the service of Monty the python are not obliged to pay him, but they are encouraged to at least give donation for his food.
Because many patronizes the unconventional service, the massage is already offered two days a week and an advanced booking is required.
In most cases, a python's bite isn't venomous, but they can kill humans by asphyxiation. They usually use their muscles, which is 90 percent of their body, to cling on to their prey and crush them until unconscious or until their bones are broken.
However, Monty, who is 4 feet at 13 years old, is different, as told by Doehlen. Monty the python reportedly has been trained to be slightly gentle.
Another customer named Nadine Knect, who was interviewed by Ruptly TV, said she was slightly uneasy about the massage at the beginning, but after a while, she became relaxed.
"In the beginning, I was a little bit afraid. I thought the snake would be cold. But I should say, no, it is warm and it is a very pleasant feeling when it pulsates, when it massages the neck," she explained.
IUCN Red List notes that ball python (Python regius) is exploited for pet trade, but has been assessed as Least Concern. Aside from pet trade, they are often poached for leather and meat.