King Cobra (Ophiophagus
hannah)
Family: Elapidae.
Status: Threatened.
Size: 10 to 18 ft. in length.
Diet: Carnivore.
Characteristics: Solitary, active by day.
Area: Asia.
Offspring: 20 to 40 eggs.
Trivia:
·
The king cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake.
·
Their venom
is less lethal than that of a common cobra’s.
·
On
the annual holiday Nag Panchami, Hindus refrain from field work out of respect
for cobras.
· They cause less than 5 human deaths a year—about 1/5 as many as North American rattlers.
·
King cobras have a head as big as a man’s hand.
· The Latin name “Ophiophagus” means snake-eater.
Despite their huge size and fearsome reputation, king cobras would rather avoid confrontation and will back away unless threatened. There are many tales of encounters with king cobras, even females in their nests, and in every case, the snakes have headed in the opposite direction. When threatened, these huge snakes make a hissing sound and lift the front of their bodies 3 to 6 feet off the ground while travelling forward. At the same time, the snake will expand and flatten out its neck ribs to form a hood. If a king cobra is in an upright position without flattening its ribs, it is not threatening, but trying to see into the distance, usually because of tall grasses or bushes. King cobras are considered very intelligent, learning faster than other snakes and in zoo environments, and quickly learn to recognize their handlers. King cobras mainly eat other snakes—non-venomous snakes such as the rat snake, but also Indian cobras and even small King cobras. They capture prey by biting it with their fangs, and delivering venom into the victim’s bloodstream. Although the venom of a king cobra is less lethal than a common cobra’s, the king has more venom per bite—enough to kill twenty people. The venom attacks the victim’s nervous system and shuts down his breathing. King cobra bites are rare, though, and most occur to snake handlers or people trying to capture a king cobra. The snake’s sense of smell is excellent. He flicks his tongue to bring odours back to the nostrils located inside the mouth.
The king cobra ranges through India, Vietnam, southern China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, western Indonesia and the Philippines. Although it has a rather large range, it is rare throughout the range. They inhabit rain forests near streams or swamps and spend about a quarter of their time in trees. Deforestation has become a serious concern, as the king cobras find their habitat shrinking and sometimes make their way into villages, where they’re killed.
Scientists believe king cobras to be monogamous. The female makes a nest of leaves and branches. King cobras are the only snakes to make nests. The female first carries the eggs inside her for two months, then lays them in the bottom of the nest and curls up over top of them. During this time, the male remains close to guard the nest. The female remains on the nest for two months without eating, and then just before the babies hatch, she leaves. The hatchlings are 14 inches long and about as big around as a human finger. During the first year of their lives, they’ll shed their skin once per month. After the first moult, when they’re seven to ten days old, they begin to hunt for food. After one year of age, king cobras shed four to six times per year. The skin is smooth and dry, not wet or slimy. King cobras can live up to thirty years.