The King Cobra is a massive poisonous snake, found in Southeast Asia, that can be quite aggressive.
The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) lives in the grasslands and rainforests of Southeast Asia, including China and India. This snake is generally shy, avoiding human contact, but can be very aggressive if cornered or if it feels its young are threatened. They are the largest of all venomous snakes, capable of growing up to 18 feet in length. Although their venom isn’t the most toxic, it can deliver up to seven millimeters worth of venom, enough to kill twenty-men or an elephant with a single bite.
Habitat and Morphology
This large snake is well adapted for life in the forest. Their glistening scaly skin is dry and can be yellow, green, brown or black, matching the forest colors. It can live up to twenty years long, is constantly growing and can swim, slither on land and climb trees well. Males tend to be thicker than females, and when confronted can rise up to one third of their entire length, flattening their neck ribs making hissing sounds. False eyespots on the ribs or hood fool many would be predators away. These snakes smell with their tongue and have excellent eyesight. Although they’re deaf, they can sense vibrations well.
Prey
This snake is a carnivore that primarily eats other smaller snakes. In tough times, when food is scarce, they will also indulge in lizards, birds and rodents. They have been known to be able to detect prey from up to three hundred feet away. Once the prey has been located, the snake will use its amazing sense of hunting ability to track down the victim, deliver the envenomating bite and consume its meal whole. Due to its slow metabolic rate, the King Cobra may not have or need another meal for many months. The King Cobra hunts mainly during the day and is considered diurnal.
Reproduction
King Cobras are one of the only snakes known to construct nests for their young. The females mate once a year and during mating season gather together dead leaves, branches and other vegetation to form its nest. The female King Cobra will lay approximately 50 leathery eggs in the nest and will sit atop them for the entire incubation period of sixty to eighty days. The males will stay in the vicinity for the duration of this period. The females are notoriously aggressive during this time and won’t hesitate to attack any living creature if near the proximity of the nest. The hatching young tend to be black with yellow or white bars traversing their bodies. They are about eighteen to twenty inches long and are born with enough venom to kill an adult human.
Venom
The King Cobra’s venom consists of many different proteins and polypeptides. Their venom is pumped through their half-inch fangs, into their victim causing neurotoxic symptoms. Symptoms include severe pain, blurred vision, drowsiness, paralysis, cardiovascular irregularities and collapse, coma and death. An antidote is available, but only in small quantities. Luckily the snakes tend to be shy and try to avoid contact with humans and would-be predators.
King Cobras need to be respected. They are large, powerful, cunning and extremely dangerous. As with most other species of venomous snake, they tend to avoid confrontation and don’t want to use up their precious venom. Understanding their habitat and temperament is paramount to avoiding these snakes in the wild.
References
Mehrtens, John. Living Snakes of the World. New York: Sterling.1987
