These iconic venomous snakes are a Queensland first
IN A Queensland first, two of the world's most iconic snake species have arrived at Australia Zoo.
A pair of king cobras and a pair of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes sent the zoo into a buzz early last week as they were introduced to their new enclosures, and can claim to be the first exotic snakes housed in a Queensland zoo, thanks to a change in state permits.
The diamondback rattlesnakes are the largest species of rattler and one of the heaviest venomous species in the world.
Although they aren't particularly long, the shape and pattern on their scales and their infamous rattling tail tip make them unmistakeable.
On the other hand, the gorgeous male king cobra lives up to his name, measuring a whopping 3.5 metres long.
Coming from Melbourne Zoo on January 20, the eastern diamondback rattlesnakes attracted an audience of staff and guests who were lucky enough to witness Zoo history in the making as the snakes were moved into their new home.
Nick Kuyper, head of Australia Zoo's reptile department, gave a brief welcome and was quick to point out the famous sound of the snake's rattle to the hushed crowd.
"It's incredibly exciting for Australia Zoo and the reptile department to have both the eastern diamondback rattlesnake and the king cobra join our family of venomous snakes,” Mr Kuyper said.
The two female eastern diamondback rattlesnakes are still fairly young, at four years old.
"They're certainly joining an already impressive group of venomous snakes here at Australia Zoo but the fact that this native American species are the first in Queensland is such a special and exciting feat,” Mr Kuyper said.
"These incredible animals provide a unique opportunity for us to expand our knowledge and educate our guests about venomous snakes with origins outside of Australia.”
The zoo's new male king cobra is already a huge snake, but could potentially grow to 6 metres long.
Naturally occurring in Southeast Asia, the species is the longest venomous snake on earth today, famous for their behaviour when threatened.
King cobras are able to rear the first third of their body upwards and flatten their neck to a hood in an effort to intimidate an attacker rather than immediately reacting with a bite.
This means if a fully grown male king cobra displayed this behaviour, he'd be able to look a grown man directly in the eye.
The cobras came to Australia Zoo from the Australian Reptile Park outside of Sydney and made their debut on Tuesday afternoon to an excited audience.