Everyone knows this is the king of snakes, but why?
Is it because, this is the longest venomous snake on this planet which can grow to a length of 18-19 feet or is it because of the deadly neurotoxic venom, a single drop of which can kill a human.
No. But the name king in the world of snakes can only mean one thing “SNAKE EATER”. Yes, the primary diet of a king consists of other snakes, which it kills with one bite and swallows whole.
These snakes are referred by some people as the most intelligent of all snakes primarily because of the fact that they can lift 1/3rd of their body length above the ground (which is around 6 feet for fully grown kings) and can look straight in the eye of a human and mesmerize them.
King cobras are known to reside in places with high humidity because of which they are quite common in the forests of North East India and the Western Ghats. The good news is there is a healthy population in Karnataka but they are facing problems, primarily habitat destruction.
The most surprising fact about a king cobra is actually that it is not a cobra in the first place.
Cobras are snakes that belong to the Genus – Naja but the king cobra belongs to the Genus – Ophiophagus, which literally means a snake eater.
We people of Karnataka should be proud of the fact that we have the only captive breeding facility of king cobras in the Pilikula Nisargadhama which is situated close to Mangalore and also because Romulus Whitaker, the renowned herpetologist who is the founder of the Madras Snake Park and the Madras Crocodile Bank has called Agumbe the capitol of King Cobras and has suggested setting up the world’s first King Cobra sanctuary in Agumbe.
As a snake lover I would hope that these projects continue to preserve one of the most fascinating snakes to ever crawl the face of earth.
Look at this video and you will see why the King Cobra is truly the king,
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeQUfJ4LFN8
Here are some more interesting facts about this amazing snake, the King Cobra :
- They make nests and are the only known documented snake to show parental care. The male King Cobra takes turns guarding the nest and hunting with the female mate.
- They live upto 20 years of age in the wild.
- Synthetic Cobra venom is used in medicines like pain relievers and arthritis medication.
- A general snake fact : In the snake species, there is no visible difference between a male and female snake for an untrained eye.
I hate you!
@ Venessa: I am not sure why you hate me, but i don’t mind being the bad guy if i can help convert some of the snake haters to snake lovers.
“Cobras are snakes that belong to the Genus – Naja ” – why are you narrowly defining cobras like that?
Lots of african snakes are called cobras and none of them belong to “Naja”. In fact some of them more related to king cobra then Naga/Naja.
Wikipedia says that “cobra” is portuges for any snake which can stand up and form the hood …
“Cobra may refer to:
Any member of the genus Naja, a.k.a. typical cobras, a group of venomous elapids found in Africa and Asia.
Any member of the genus Boulengerina, a.k.a. water cobras, a group of venomous elapids found in Africa.
Any member of the genus Aspidelaps, a.k.a. shield-nosed cobras or coral snakes, a group of venomous elapids found in Africa.
Any member of the genus Pseudohaje, a.k.a. tree cobras, a group of venomous elapids found in Africa.
Paranaja multifasciata, a.k.a. the burrowing cobra, a venomous elapid species found in Africa.
Ophiophagus hannah, a.k.a. the king cobra, a venomous elapid species found in southern Asia.
Hemachatus haemachatus, a.k.a. the spitting cobra or rinkhals, a venomous elapid species found in Africa.
Micrurus fulvius, a.k.a. the American cobra or eastern coral snake, a venomous elapid species found in the southeastern United States.
Hydrodynastes gigas, a.k.a. the false water cobra, a mildly venomous colubrid species found in South America.
A taxonomic synonym for the genus Bitis, a.k.a. puff adders, a group of venomous vipers found in Africa and in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. “
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