The King Cobra a deadly predator, measuring in at 13 foot and weighing up to 20lbs. This venomous snake is typically found within the rain forests and plains of India, although they have been found in the southern regions of China and south-east Asia. The King Cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world. The largest one ever recorded was 18 foot long. Generally, cobras are shy and actually do anything in order to get away from Humans but when they are concerned King Cobras will become very aggressive.
When threatened King Cobras will inflate there hood, the hood is made up of loose skin. The hood will be created by the extension of the ribs which are located just further down from the snakes head. When the snake feels threatened it will push air into the hood which in turn expands the ribs section in order to create this visual display. It is quite interesting to know that actually the muscles that the snake possesses in order to create the hood can be found in every snake. However, the other snakes don’t posses the co operation of the ribs.
The snake has been a large size actually doesn’t make them the most venomous snake in the world. The Sea Snake holds that record. However, the King Cobra can inject in a single bite up to 7 millimetres of neurotoxin which is enough to kill 20 adults or a single elephant.
They are very comfortable in all environments weather that’s in a tree, in water or on the ground. These snakes will only have a natural predator of a mongoose. However, they are deadly predators hunting for birds, lizards, fish, frogs, toads, eggs and chicks. Not only is that on the menu but also rabbits and rats.
Cobras are very intelligent creatures and can usually remember where the danger is and where they are safe to roam around. They also use the intelligence during the breeding season. Males are quite capable of eating a female king if it was hungry enough. The female will slither around the dense amount of undergrowth on the forest floor leaving a trail of scent behind to tell males that “I am a female Cobra.” The males will then locate the female when the two snakes meet one wrong move could be fatal. So everything has to be done perfect or risk death. The female will display her hood and will flick the coils over her head. If the female doesn’t do what the male wants her to do then he will butt her with his head. Eventually the females will put on a perfect performance and mate. This could take up to about an hour, the snakes will then go there separate ways. The female once mated needs to prepare to build a nest. This is quite spectacular to watch she will grab the leaf litter in her coils and drag it until she has made a nest suitable. Then the female cobra will lay between 20-30 eggs, which are then protected by another pile of leaves to cover them. The nests will usually measure about 40cm high and 1 meter wide, it can take anywhere between 12 hours to 4 days to complete this nest.
The females, however, are great mothers they will guard the eggs and ward off any potential predators from attacking the eggs. She will only retreat if it rains. Once the eggs hatch they give off a certain aroma within the area and the female will leave them to fend for themselves. They are quite deadly a bite from a newly born King Cobra will easily like the adults kill an adult human. Most of the young ones will be eaten by birds or mongoose but one or two, however, will proceed to make it to adult hood.
Interesting fact you didn’t know before reading this.
King cobras can decide on how much poison to put into something. For example, if they think that the Human/ animal is too large to eat then it will most likely just bite and not waste any poison in the process.