LOL....that was a pretty funny video. Personally, I think it was all a put-on, although it's probably that Conan wasn't "in the loop" about how ol' Steve-o was gonna demonstrate his snake.
There's some things I like about Steve Irwin...such as his passion for animals and conservation...but there's lots about him that really irks me. Since I don't know him personally, I can't say for sure, but he comes across to me as having an ego even bigger than that snake, and too much of his "reality" shows are staged for ratings.