The whip has a whole bunch of animations, and I think they relate directly to the PC animations (they have the same names).
They're all pretty short in duration, but you wouldn't need many frames just to get moving snakes.
Maybe someone will take you up on this idea. I ain't touching it.
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Although, if it turns out really nice, I might use it in my PW, where the drow are not followers of a spider goddess, but of a god of snakes (and murder, poison, corruption, etc.).