I don't think a child should even be put in the position to handle a snake like that, or really even handle it at all, by themselves. The child looked very young, and if I were the parent, I would simply hold the snake myself, allowing the snake to slither freely across the child's hand as it made it's way from one hand to the other, never actually allowing the child to grasp it.
I learned from a VERY young age how to respect animals, and never required a spanking to do so (not inciting parenting debate, just sayin'). I was helping to catching Garter Snakes and Toads before I could really walk, and the lessons learned while watching, of being careful and respectful while handling them, made a much deeper imprint on my dealings with animals than a soar behind.
Even today, I watch many a people handle snakes in a way that makes me cringe. At shows, on TV/Youtube, in pet stores, etc... People by in large seem to flail snakes around, pull them, prod them, twist them into pretzel's, etc... and I doubt it's that they needed a spanking. Had people learned early about the importance of handling animals with respect, it would have lasted until their adulthood.
