
The annual Cobra Gold military exercise got underway in Thailand on Tuesday, which saw US troops undergo a series of grueling and garish tasks in the name of survival.

Twenty-eight other nations were in attendance at the largest event of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, which teaches troops how to survive in extreme conditions in the jungle.

4,500 members of the US forces will be partaking in crazed drills on land and sea, along side other soldiers from Singapore, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia.

US Marines wasted no time in getting stuck in on Tuesday, as they queued up to slurp the blood of a decapitated cobra - which is said to be an effective hydrator should drinking water not be accessible during a jungle disaster.

Some tentatively presented their tongues with their eyes tightly shut, as their comrades looked on and laughed

Marines were also forced to eat a variation of other creatures indigenous to densely wooded areas, including scorpions and tarantulas

Not for the faint of heart, many of the Marines can we seen with their eyes tightly shut and tongues tentatively presented as the bright red blood is dripped onto their tongue.

But a number can also be seen almost celebrating as they guzzle down the nutritious liquid - described as 'fishy' tasting - in front of their jubilant comrades at Akatotsarot Camp, in Phitsanulok, Thailand.

And the tasks only continue to get stranger from there, as soldiers learn to de-fang tarantulas before eating, as well as ingesting lizards and other creatures indigenous to densely forested areas.

And it wasn't all meat and blood for the troops, the jungle is also rich with vegan options too as some soldiers gobbled down vegetation from the lush environment.

'The benefits of Cobra Gold have been clearly demonstrated through the past years,' said Peter Haymond, the interim chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, during the opening ceremony.

'Our nations represented here today have fought side by side in battlefields and have worked together in humanitarian and natural disasters.'

Other exercise will include military field training, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief drills across the next eight days, before the closing ceremony on February 22.

Cobra blood is said to be a nutritious and hydrating option, should clean drinking water not be available in a jungle disaster

One Marine taking part in the garish exercise described the taste of the blood as surprisingly 'fishy'

Thai soldiers also showed the 10,000 competing troops how to properly kill the snake first

The prospect of eating a raw Gecko wasn't appetizing for all

US Marines queued up to drink the blood of a cobra - with some more enthusiastic about the prospect than others

4, 5000 members of the US military are taking part in the exercise, which concludes on February 22