Snake pattern here
Instead of inserting a wire I utilized the coiling technique from this pattern to give the snake some shape.
I’m not sure if perhaps I was meant to slip stitch at the end of each round or not, because mine came out in a spiral rather than a continuous coil (as I think was intended). I simply single crocheted half of the stitches and then slip stitched (through the back loop only) for the other half of the stitches in a continuous spiral (16 sts. total). Happy with the result!

I was very concerned that my rambunctious grandchildren might manage to break the wire inside with too much manipulation and then possibly hurt themselves with the sharp end. I love the face and look of this snake pattern though, so I wanted to stick with it, and this solution worked well for me.