"King Cobra: A Vulnerable Giant of the Reptilian World"

 

"Discover the fascinating world of the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), the longest venomous snake on Earth. Learn about its diet, habitat, behavior, and unique nesting habits, and explore why this elusive predator is a vital part of our ecosystem."

Scientific name:   Ophiophagus hannah

Family:  Elapidae

Conservation status:

Vulnerable (Population decreasing)

Class:    Reptilia

Domain: Eukaryota

Genus: Ophiophagus; Günther, 1864

Kingdom: Animalia

Size: 10 - 20 feet

What is the king cobra?

One of the most venomous snakes in the world, the king cobra, can literally “stand up” and meet the gaze of an adult. They can lift a third of their bodies off the ground and still move forward to attack when confronted.

Thankfully, king cobras are timid and will do everything in their power to stay away from people. They will also flare their famous hood and emit a hiss that almost sounds like a growling dog.

What do king cobras look like?

King cobras are either olive green, tan, or black in color. They have a yellow underside and are covered in smooth scales.

What do king cobras eat?

They eat other snakes and occasionally lizards.

Habitat and behavior:

King cobras vary in color from place to place, and they are found primarily in the plains and rainforests of southern China, India, and Southeast Asia. They feel at home in a variety of environments, including rivers, high-altitude grasslands, mangrove swamps, bamboo thickets, and forests.

This species primarily feeds on other snakes, both venomous and non-venomous. They will also consume small mammals, eggs, and lizards.They are the only snakes in the world that build nests for their eggs, which they guard with great zeal until their young hatch.

Snake charmers:

King cobras are known as the favorite snake species of South Asia. Although cobras can hear, they are actually deaf to ambient noise, sensing ground vibrations instead. The Smithsonian's National Zoo says that the snake's charming game is "often a sadistic game in which a tired cobra is defensively positioned, but nevertheless (painfully) refuses to attack the flute."

King cobra facts:

The world's longest venomous snake, growing to over 5 metres.

The king cobra is the only snake that builds a nest for its eggs, laying them in plants, leaves and twigs which it collects in a mound.

They rarely bite, and they frequently run away when they feel threatened. They are one of the few snakes that hiss as a warning. When threatened, they display a tight hood.

A king cobra, like other snakes, receives chemical information through its forked tongue.

They subdue prey with large doses of neurotoxic venom.

King cobras are an egg-laying species. They build their nests from rotting vegetables.

In which they lay up to 50 eggs.