The
King Cobra (
Ophiophagus hannah) is the largest of the venomous land snakes, growing up to 18.5 ft (5.7 m) in length, and with a width of up to 1 ft (0.3 m) at the neck. However, as they are generally slender, King Cobras usually do not exceed 44 lb (20 kg). Its venom is a neurotoxin, capable of killing a human. The mortality rate can be as high as 75%, but most bites involve nonfatal amounts.<1> <2> Although called a cobra, it does not belong to the same genus (
Naja) as the so-called "true" cobras. The King Cobra is peculiar in that it feeds almost exclusively on other snakes, which is reflected in both its common name and its genus name (
Ophiophagus is Greek for "snake-eater"), and is even known to attack larger snakes, including pythons. In spite of the King Cobra''s fearsome reputation, however, it is generally a shy and reclusive animal, avoiding confrontation with people as much as possible. There are many smaller venomous snakes within this species'' range that are responsible for a far greater number of fatal snake bites.<3>
The King Cobra can lift a third of its body off the ground. In effect, an 18 foot King Cobra could actually
look down onto the average human being. Like other snakes bearing the cobra name, the King can also flatten its neck, giving it the distinctive hood.
The King Cobra lives in much of mainland South East Asia and throughout the dense highland forests.The snake has a preference for living in areas dotted with lakes and streams, and is an excellent swimmer. King Cobra populations have dropped in some areas of its range due to the destruction of forests, but despite this the snake is not listed by the IUCN as in danger of becoming extinct.<4> The King Cobra is said to be the only snake which makes nests for its eggs.<5><6> It is widely worshipped in India as
nagaraja ("king of snake").
King Cobras, like other snakes, smell using their forked tongue which picks up scent particles and transfers them to a special sensory receptor (Jacobson''s Organ), located in the roof of its mouth. When the scent of a potential meal has been detected, the snake will continue to flick its tongue to gauge the prey''s direction (the twin forks of the tongue acting in stereo); it will also rely on its excellent eyesight (able to detect moving prey almost 300 ft <100 m> away), sensitivity to vibrations, and outstanding intelligence (compared to that of other cobra species) to track its prey.<
citation needed> Following envenomation, the King Cobra will begin to swallow its struggling prey whole while its toxins begin the digestion of its victim. King Cobras, as with all other snakes, do not have rigidly fixed jaws. Instead, the jaw bones are connected by extremely pliable ligaments, enabling the lower jaw bones to move independently of each other. This enables all snakes to swallow prey much larger than their head.
This cobra''s diet is mainly composed of other snakes (ophiophagy). It prefers non-venomous snakes,<
citation needed> but it will also eat other venomous snakes including kraits and Indian Cobras. Cannibalism is not rare. When food is scarce, King Cobras will also feed on other small vertebrates such as lizards. After a large meal the snake may live for many months without another meal due to a very slow metabolic rate. King Cobras are able to hunt at all times of day, although it is rarely seen at night, leading some to erroneously classify it as a diurnal species.<
citation needed>
If a King Cobra encounters a natural predator, such as the mongoose, which has some resistance to the neurotoxins,<7> the cobra will generally try to flee. If all else fails, it will flatten its upper ribs forming the prototypical cobra hood about its neck and emit a high-pitched hiss, sometimes with feigned closed-mouth strikes.
King Cobra venom, which is composed mostly of proteins and polypeptides, is produced in specialized salivary glands jthe animal''s eyes. When biting its prey, venom is forced through the snake''s half-inch-long (8-10 mm) fangs and into the wound. Although the venom is less toxic than that of many other venomous snakes, including the Indian Cobra, a King Cobra is capable of injecting more venom than any other snake except the gaboon viper.<
citation needed> In fact, a King Cobra can deliver enough venom to kill a full-grown Asian Elephant in 3 hours.<8><9>
King Cobra venom attacks the victim''s nervous system and quickly induces severe pain, blurred vision, vertigo, drowsiness, and paralysis. In the minutes following, cardiovascular collapse occurs, and the victim falls into a coma. Death soon follows due to respiratory failure. There are two types of antivenin made specifically to treat King Cobra envenomations. The Red Cross in Thailand manufactures
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