Nicki Minaj ditched the dancer-biting snakes for her VMA performance.
The pop star still managed to shake it with Jessie J and Ariana Grande -- sans slithering backup dancers.
[seealso slug="vma-stars-younger-selves"]
"Ms. Minaj put on a fantasssssssic ssssshow. We're sssssorry we couldn't be a part of it," Richard, a snake who resides in a Brooklyn park, tells Mashable.
[Editor's note: The VMAs really could've used snakes.]