All cobras belong to the family of snakes - asps. This family includes 347 species of venomous snakes. From a scientific point of view, cobras form a separate genus - real cobras. But some species of other genera of the asp family are also called cobras. A common property of cobras is to spread their ventral ribs to form a disc-shaped hood, thus giving the illusion of being larger in the event of a threat.
Genus: Shield cobras
This genus consists of burrowing snakes, which is reflected in the structure of their bodies. In representatives of the genus, the intermaxillary shield is enlarged. The hood is not as well developed as in cobras from the genus True cobras.
The genus of shield cobras includes two species: the South African shield cobra and the common shield cobra.
The South African shield cobra lives in the western regions of southern Africa. The range covers the former Cape province of South Africa, Namibia, and also the south of Angola. The body of this type of cobra does not exceed 80 centimeters in length, it is painted orange with black transverse stripes.
The South African shield cobra is active at night. Its main prey is small rodents, and it goes hunting at night. The poison of this type of cobra is not strong, it has bitten people, but the deaths of bites are rare.
South African shield cobra at night. 
This type of cobra is somewhat smaller than the South African shield cobra, the body length of an ordinary shield cobra does not exceed 60 centimeters. It feeds not only on small rodents, but small lizards can also become its prey. The poison of the snake is weak, the bite of an ordinary shield cobra does not pose a danger to human life.
The back is painted in a light gray-yellow color, the hood is poorly developed. The species lives in Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa.
Genus: Real cobras
It is representatives of this genus that are mainly called cobras. Representatives of this genus have the most recognizable features of cobras, in the first place - a well-developed hood. Cobras of this genus are venomous and their bites are life-threatening. But they warn of their presence by opening their hoods wide, which vipers do not.
There are different points of view on the classification of species of this genus. According to various classifications, there are no more than 30 species of real cobras. They live in Africa, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.
DNA analysis has identified 28 species of True cobras and grouped them into four subgenera. Let's look at some of them.
The Indian cobra is also called the spectacled snake. The Indian cobra has a variegated color: a bright yellow body with a blue tint closer to the head has a pattern resembling glasses, for which the Indian cobra is called a spectacled snake. The body length of the largest representatives of the species reaches two meters. Indian cobras are slow, although they have some dexterity: they can swim and climb trees.
The range of the Indian cobra is extensive and extends far beyond India. It can be found on the territory to South China, and further to the Philippines and the islands of the Malay Archipelago. It lives in the jungle, but it can also be found in rice fields, and even in parks or in the garden. Eats Indian cobra small rodents and frogs.
Female Indian cobras guard the eggs but do not incubate them. The cubs become independent as soon as they hatch from the eggs. The bite of the first-day Indian cobra is venomous, so babies can fend for themselves. The poison of the Indian cobra affects the nervous system. There is evidence that one gram of the dried venom of this type of cobra can kill 140 small dogs.
It is the Indian cobras that "perform" the cobra dances organized by the Indian snake charmers. The caster lures the snake with the help of a pipe, it begins to follow its movements, swaying in unison with them, which creates the effect of a dance.
Spectacle-shaped pattern on the hood of an Indian cobra. 
Indian cobra on a tree.
The Central Asian cobra is a large species of cobra, reaching a length of two meters. The color of the upper back varies from light olive to dark brown, the belly has a light yellowish color. Young Central Asian cobras have dark stripes in the form of rings closed on the belly, which fade with age.
The Central Asian cobra, perhaps like most cobras, has an innate defensive behavior. In danger, they raise 1/3 of the body to a horizontal position and hiss menacingly. If you approach them at this moment, they will make a warning attack - they will hit their heads, but most likely they will not bite, since biting a large enemy is more likely to break poisonous teeth. This behavior is demonstrated even by newborn snakes, that is, this reaction is an innate reflex.
The basis of the diet of the Central Asian cobra is amphibians and other small snakes. Small rodents make up no more than 20% of its diet, and birds and bird eggs a maximum of 10%. Juveniles may prey on insects.
The poison of this cobra is very strong, but it bites people very rarely. Poison is used in medicine for cooking medicines, therefore, Central Asian cobras are bred in serpentaria. V wild nature The species is rare and protected.
Spitting Indian cobra
The spitting Indian cobra is a species that lives only in the Malaysian Peninsula, the Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, and the island of Sulawesi. It differs in that it spits out poison through a hole in the poisonous fangs. The maximum body length is 1.8 meters, although the spitting Indian cobra usually does not exceed one and a half meters.
The Egyptian cobra lives in northern Africa (except Tunisia). There are also isolated populations in the west and east of Africa (above the equator), there is a small population on the Arabian Peninsula.
The Egyptian cobra can reach three meters in length, but usually individuals do not exceed two meters. Found in deserts, mountains, ruins or stone rubble. Active during the day. The diet is typical for cobras: small rodents, frogs and lizards, birds and their eggs.
The poison has a highly neurotoxic effect dangerous to humans.
Like the Indian cobra, the Egyptian cobra is often used by snake charmers for street performances, which are popular with tourists as well. The Egyptian cobra gets along well in captivity, immediately begins to feed, preferring rodents and birds. To keep the Egyptian cobra, you need a spacious room, but keeping several snakes in it is not recommended, since in fights for food they inflict fatal bites on each other.
The Cape cobra is a species native to southern Africa. Prefers deserts, steppes and mountain landscapes. The color of the Cape cobra is amber-yellow or dark brown.
The diet is similar to that of other species of cobras, except that the Cape cobra does not disdain carrion.
The Cape cobra is one of the most poisonous species snakes of Africa. The highest percentage of deaths from cobra bites is due to the bites of the Cape cobra.
Cape cobras of different colors. 
Cape cobra and hyena fight in the Kalahari desert.
Cape cobra vs hyena.
Ringed water cobra - inhabitant big rivers and lakes equatorial Africa. Can reach a length of 2.7 meters. Its main prey is fish, but on occasion it can also eat a frog or a toad. The body is colored yellowish-brown with wide black transverse stripes. The ringed water cobra is on the 13th place in the ranking of the most poisonous snakes on the planet.
Ringed water cobra underwater.
The black and white cobra is a species native to eastern Africa. Adults often reach a length of 2.5 meters. Juvenile black-and-white cobras have narrow white stripes against a dark background of the body, while adults are dark brown or black with a metallic sheen. The belly of black and white cobras is yellow with transverse black stripes.
The black and white cobra is highly venomous, second only to that of the Cape cobra. In captivity, it can live up to 30 years.
Large brown spitting cobra
The large brown spitting cobra can reach a length of 2.73 meters. Very poisonous, one bite of this species of cobra contains enough poison to kill 20 people.
Outwardly, it is very similar to the black-necked cobra. Only in 2007 it was taken out in a separate form.
The Mozambican cobra is a relatively small species of cobra. maximum size which is one and a half meters. May have a color from light gray to dark olive. The favorite habitats of the Mozambique cobra are meadows and woodlands. Like all cobras, it feeds on amphibians and small rodents, and also does not disdain locusts. In case of danger, they inflate a wide hood and can throw poison towards a potential enemy. The species lives in southeast Africa.
The Mozambique cobra is a very venomous and nervous snake, which makes it extremely dangerous. The vast majority of bites occurred in villages, 82% of those bitten were asleep during the attack of the Mozambique cobra.
The black-necked cobra is very widespread in tropical Africa. Usually representatives of the species are no more than two meters long, the largest black-necked cobra was 2.71 meters long. The color of the body depends on the region of habitat, ranging from light brown to dark brown. The lower part of the throat and neck is black.
If the black cobra is in danger, then it can shoot poison and hit the enemy who is at a distance of three meters. If the poison enters the eyes, it will cause long-term blindness.
Genus: collared cobras
collared cobra
The collared cobra is the only species of the eponymous genus. The genus is distinguished by the fact that behind the poisonous fangs it has no teeth. Like representatives of the genus Real cobras, the collared cobra can open its hood, but it is much narrower. The average size of an adult is 1 meter.
Collared cobra likes to settle near stagnant water bodies, preferring grassy and rocky areas. Lives secretly, active at night, hunts amphibians, small mammals and lizards. He knows how to spit poison and actively uses this technique for protection.
Unlike real cobras, this genus does not lay eggs, but gives birth to live cubs.
Genus: King cobra
The king cobra is a fairly well-known snake. This species is the only representative of the same genus. There is an opinion that the king cobra is very poisonous. This is an erroneous opinion. The king cobra can reach a length of more than five meters and is the largest poisonous snake. These cobras live up to 30 years and grow throughout their lives.
You can meet the king cobra in India, Pakistan, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The king cobra preferred to live in tropical forests, but human activity has led to their reduction. Now they are increasingly found near agricultural fields, where smaller snakes are found in abundance, on which they feed. These small snakes, in turn, prey on rodents near the fields.
King cobras can regulate the amount of venom they expend when they bite. But they do not spare poison and introduce it by an order of magnitude more than enough. Human bites are rarely fatal. Only every tenth bite results in death.
The female guards the eggs during three months while she is starving.
Genus: Forest cobras
In the forests of equatorial Africa, there are two types of cobras that lead a predominantly arboreal lifestyle. This is the eastern and western (black) tree cobra.
Genus: Desert cobras
The Egyptian desert cobra is an inhabitant of the deserts and wastelands of Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and some other countries of this region.
Active at night. In the diet, in addition to small mammals and lizards, other snakes are also present.
Like most species of cobras, before biting a person, it makes warning attacks several times. Only if a person does not understand that the snake is serious, does she decide to bite.
The king cobra (its second name is the hamadryad) is rightfully considered the most poisonous and longest snake in the world. And this is not surprising, because its size and appearance really cause respect and a sense of fear.
This is because the record body length of the largest king cobra is 560 centimeters, and the average length ranges between 3 and 4 meters.
On the head, in addition to the usual occipital shields, there are 6 additional dark shields in the form of a semicircle, which are a kind of cobra decoration and form a thin hood.
What does a cobra look like and where does it live?
The main color of the king cobra is brown or yellowish green, but the color is quite variable - this is due to the wide habitat of the cobra. The darker the area in which the cobra lives, the darker its skin will be, respectively.
In addition, the usual coloring alternates with dark rings located around the perimeter of the snake's body. These rings have a fuzzy outline near the neck and are pronounced in the tail.
The process of molting in adults occurs 4-6 times a year, and in young ones - about once a month. Along with the appearance of new skin, the cobra also acquires renewed eyes and teeth.
In the first days after the molt, the vision of the “queen” will deteriorate significantly, however, after a quick recovery, she will already be able to recognize objects at a distance of up to 90-100 meters.
When the molt ends, the Hamadryad becomes vulnerable and begins to look for a warm place to hide, often this place is a human dwelling.
An interesting fact is that this unusual snake can live an average of 30 years, and throughout its existence it continues to grow.
The sphere of residence of the king cobra is impressive in its breadth and occupies more than half South-East Asia, the distribution area captures the area from India to the Philippines.
Also, the king cobra can be observed in certain areas of Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia. Most often, this species is found in forest areas, but cases of distribution are also known on lands developed by man.
The king cobra can successfully live not only on land, it is an excellent swimmer and excellent tree mover. Although it lives mainly on the ground, in norms or caves.
What does the king cobra eat?
The diet of the king cobra is not as varied as compared to other snakes.
The reason for this is that this type of cobra feeds mainly on other snakes. Sometimes lizards may be included in their diet, but in spite of everything, preference is given to their own kind, swallowing them whole.
It is thanks to this monotonous diet that the king cobra was given the official name, which in the original sounds like Ophiophagus hannah, and literally means “snake eater”.
For a certain period of time, a cobra can do without food. This applies to those three months when the female guards her eggs.
Reproduction of the king cobra
The queen cobra is distinguished by the constant structure of the nests in which it then lays its eggs. The mating season for king cobras begins in January. Like most animals, in the event of the appearance of competitors, male cobras arrange fights for the female.
Before mating, the male needs a certain time to look after the female and thereby make sure that she is completely safe, because there are cases when an aggressive female can attack her chosen one and even kill him.
Then mating takes place, which takes about an hour for the cobras. After a month, the female will be able to lay eggs.
During this time, the cobra equips a nest, which consists of a small pile of leaves. The snake rakes the leaves with the help of its chest part of the body.
Usually, the king cobra lays 20 eggs, however, in some cases, their number can reach 40. From above, the eggs are again covered with leaves, on which the female lies last. Then she guards the eggs around the clock, sometimes the male joins this process.
During this period, the female is especially aggressive and susceptible to the appearance of foreign animals in the area near the nest. Therefore, protecting its offspring, the cobra will no longer make "idle" bites. She will be ready to attack anyone passing by, regardless of whether it is an animal or a person.
After 100 days, the eggs hatch into very small, but already quite poisonous and dangerous kites. Before the birth of the babies, the female leaves the nest for a certain time and looks for food. This is necessary so that the hungry cobra does not eat its newborn cubs.
It is known that out of 20-40 kites only 2-4 will be able to reach adulthood.
Cobra hunting and features of its poison
It is known that the poison of the king cobra, entering the body, has a strong neurotoxic effect on it, in particular, this applies to the respiratory system of the victim.
Due to the injection of this poison into the body, paralysis of the muscles of the respiratory system occurs, which causes respiratory arrest, and it, accordingly, leads to death. Very disastrous consequences from a small bite, right?
When a cobra bites, about 6 ml of snake venom enters the human or animal body, and this dose can be considered fatal.
A person who has received such a dose of poison lives no more than 15 minutes. But it is worth noting that there is an antidote - antivenin, which can save a person, however, to save him, it is necessary to introduce an antidote into the body immediately after the bite, and this possibility is not always present in people.
An interesting fact is that, despite the aggressiveness and extreme poisonousness of the king cobra, there have been few cases of human death after its bite.
Obviously, this is due to the fact that the cobra hunts other snakes, including poisonous ones, using its poison as a real weapon, so the waste of poison is not at all beneficial for this cobra and that is why, unlike some other types of cobras, they does not spit poison.
To frighten and drive away a person, the snake uses the so-called "idle" bites, in which the poison is not released and hisses at him. To do this, the cobra contracts some muscles and blocks the channels of the poisonous glands.
Cobras themselves cannot die from exposure to their own poison, the reason for this may be the formed immunity.
Living in captivity
Despite the fact that king cobras are quite common in nature and are not included in the Red Book, this snake species is very rare in zoos (mainly due to their high aggressiveness).
In addition, it is quite difficult to transfer a cobra to eating rats, which it does not perceive as a food product at all, so if you suddenly want to get yourself a homemade cobra, then it is better to abandon such an idea as soon as possible ..)
Unsuccessful mongoose hunt for cobra
Mongooses, as you probably know, often prey on poisonous snakes. That's just not always such a hunt ends happily for these small furry animals. In this video you can see a short fight between a mongoose and a cobra:
Looking at the photo of this animal, which is in the rack, two sensations involuntarily arise in the soul: fear and admiration. On the one hand, you understand that King Cobra extremely dangerous and poisonous, and, on the other hand, it is impossible not to admire her, in truth, a royal article and a proud, independent, regal appearance that is simply mesmerizing. We will understand more thoroughly in her life, describing not only the external side, but also the habits, character, snake disposition.
Origin of the species and description
The king cobra is also called the Hamadryad. The reptile belongs to the genus of the same name of king cobras, being a representative of the asp family. This family is very extensive and very poisonous, includes 61 genera and 347 varieties of snake creatures. Of all the venomous snakes, the king cobra is perhaps the largest. Its length can be more than five and a half meters, but such specimens are very rare, on average, the length of the snake is 3-4 meters.
Interesting fact: The largest king cobra was caught in 1937, its length was 5.71 meters, it spent its life as a snake in the London Zoo.
In general, the very name "cobra" has been going on since the sixteenth century in the era of the greatest geographical discoveries. The Portuguese, who were about to settle in the territory, met there with a spectacled snake, which they began to call "Cobra de Capello", which means "snake in a hat" in Portuguese. So this name took root behind all the crawlers with a hood. The name of the king cobra is translated from Latin as "eating snakes."
Video: King cobra
Herpetologists called this reptile hanna, which is consonant with the name in Latin (Ophiophagus hannah), they divide the king cobras into two separate groups:
- Chinese (continental) have wide stripes and a uniform ornament throughout the body;
- Indonesian (island) - monochromatic snakes with uneven reddish spots in the throat area and light thin stripes across.
There is a misconception that King Cobra- the most venomous snake all over the planet, this is a delusion. This title was given to Taipan McCoy, whose poison is 180 times more dangerous and stronger than the poison of the Hamadryad. There are other reptiles with more strong poison than the king cobra.
Appearance and features
We figured out the size of the king cobra, but its weight in medium-sized specimens reaches approximately six kilograms, in large-sized specimens it reaches twelve. Sensing danger, the cobra pushes the chest ribs in such a way that something like a hood appears on top. It is its most important external feature. On the hood there are six fairly large shields of dark color, having a semicircular shape.
The hood has the ability to swell due to the presence of skin folds located on the sides. On top of the cobra's head there is a completely flat area, the reptile's eyes are small, most often dark in color. and snake fangs grow up to one and a half centimeters.
The coloration of a mature snake is most often dark olive or brown in color with lighter rings across the body, although their presence is not mandatory. The tail of the reptile is either marsh or completely black. The color of the young is usually brown or black, whitish, sometimes with yellowness, stripes running across it stand out. By the tone of the snake color and the stripes on it, you can guess which of the above groups (Chinese or Indonesian) the cobra belongs to. The color of the scales located on the ridge of the snake depends on the permanent location of the cobra, because camouflage is very important for a reptile.
Therefore, it can be of the following shades:
- green;
- brown
- black;
- sandy yellow.
The color of the belly is always lighter than dorsal part, usually it is light beige.
Where does the king cobra live?
Khanna likes wet, prefers the presence of dense forest undergrowth. In general, a snake person can adapt to different natural areas and landscapes. It can also register in, on the territories of mangroves, in dense thickets of bamboo.
Scientists conducted research and tracked the movements of king cobras using radio-controlled beacons. As a result, it turned out that some reptiles always live in a certain area, while others wander to new places located tens of kilometers from their previous places of registration.
Now king cobras are increasingly living near human settlements. Most likely, this is a forced step, because. a person intensively displaces them from the inhabited territories, plowing up land and cutting down forests, where snakes have settled for centuries. Cobras are also attracted by cultivated fields, because there you can eat all kinds of rodents, which often makes young snakes.
Now you know where does the king cobra live let's see what she eats.
What does the king cobra eat?
It is not for nothing that the king cobra is called the eater, which are frequent guests in its snake menu, consisting of:
- snakes;
- keffiy;
- boyg;
- kraits;
- pythons;
Among cobras, it is sometimes found that adults eat their little cubs. In addition to snakes, the diet of the king cobra includes fairly large lizards, including. As already mentioned, young animals are not averse to having a bite to eat. Sometimes cobras also eat some birds.
On the hunt, the cobra becomes purposeful and agile, furiously pursuing its prey. First, she tries to grab the victim by the tail, and then seeks to inflict deadly bites on or near the head. The most powerful venom of the king cobra strikes the victim on the spot. It is worth noting that the cobra's teeth are not long and do not have the ability to fold, like others, so Hannah tries to hold her prey in order to bite it several times. And the strongest poison of this reptile kills even a huge one, usually about six milliliters are injected into the body of the bitten one. A poisonous toxin affects the nervous system, making it impossible to breathe, and within a few minutes after the bite, the caught prey goes into cardiac arrest.
Interesting fact: The king cobra, unlike many other reptiles, does not engage in gluttony. She freely endures a three-month hunger strike, during which she incubates her offspring.
Features of character and lifestyle
For many, the cobra is associated with a stance and a swollen hood, the royal one is no exception. The reptile hangs vertically, lifting up a third of its body. This position of the body does not hinder snake movement, it shows that the reptile dominates other cobra relatives when contractions occur during the wedding season. In battle, the cobra that was able to peck the opponent right in the crown wins. The defeated opponent leaves the stance and is removed. For a cobra, its own poison is non-toxic, snakes have long developed immunity, so duellists never die from bites.
Interesting fact: The king cobra can make a roar-like sound at the moment of aggression, thanks to the tracheal diverticula, which can sound at a low frequency.
Cobra rises to the rack not only during mating games, so she warns the ill-wisher of a possible attack. Its venom paralyzes the respiratory muscles, resulting in death for those bitten. A person who has received a poisonous dose will not live longer than half an hour unless a special antidote is immediately introduced into the body, and not everyone has such an opportunity.
Interesting fact: There are few fatal human outcomes from king cobra bites, although the poisonousness and aggressiveness of the snake is quite significant.
Scientists explain this by the fact that the cobra needs royal poison for productive hunting, because it devours other snakes, therefore, creeping saves its valuable toxin and does not scatter it in vain. To intimidate a person, Hanna often bites him empty, without injecting poison. The snake has remarkable self-control and patience and will not enter into conflict without a reason. If she is nearby, then it is better for a person to be at the level of her eyes and try to freeze, so Hannah will understand that there is no threat, and she herself retreats.
The growth of the king cobra continues throughout her life, which, under favorable circumstances, can exceed the thirty-year milestone. The molting process of the reptile occurs 4 to 6 times annually, which brings a lot of stress. royalty. It lasts about ten days, at this time the snake is very vulnerable, and seeks to find a warm secluded place. In general, cobras love to hide in reliable burrows and caves, skillfully crawl in the crowns of trees and swim perfectly.
The king cobra living in a zoo is a rarity, this is due to the increased aggressive mood of the reptile. In addition, it is very difficult to feed a royal person, because she does not really like rodents, preferring snake bites.
Social structure and reproduction
During the serpentine wedding season, partners often fight over partners. The one who emerges from them is the winner, and gets the opportunity to mate. A short moment of courtship in a relationship is also present, before mating, the gentleman needs to understand that his chosen one is calm and will not kill him in the heat of aggression, and this is the case with king cobras. The mating process itself lasts no more than an hour.
King cobras are egg-laying reptiles. After about a month, the expectant mother starts laying eggs. Before this important task, the female prepares a nest from branches and rotten foliage. Such a structure is erected on a hill, so as not to be flooded in case of showers, it can reach up to five meters in diameter. The clutch of the king cobra has from 20 to 40 eggs.
Interesting fact: The male does not leave the partner immediately after fertilization, and together with her carefully guards the nest for a couple. Partners replace each other so that the duty is around the clock. At this time, the future snake parents are extremely hot-tempered, vicious and incredibly dangerous.
The process of relentless monitoring of the nest takes three whole months, during this time the female does not eat anything at all, therefore it is not surprising that the level of her aggression simply rolls over. Before hatching, she leaves the nest so as not to eat her own children after such a long diet. Small snakes graze for about a day in the nest area, reinforced by the yolks left in the eggs. Babies are born already poisonous, like adults, but this does not save them from attacks by various ill-wishers, of which there are many, therefore, out of several dozen cubs, only two to four surviving lucky ones get their way into life.
Natural enemies of king cobras
Despite the fact that the king cobra carries a poisonous, potent, striking weapon and has an aggressive disposition, its life in natural natural conditions it is not so easy and it is not endowed with immortality. Many enemies are waiting and hunting for this dangerous royal person.
Among them are:
- serpent eagles;
All of the ill-wishers of Hannah listed above are not averse to feasting on her. Especially vulnerable are inexperienced young animals, which cannot give a significant rebuff to predators. As already mentioned, only a few cubs survive from the entire cobra egg clutch, the rest become victims of ill-wishers. Do not forget that the mother cobra herself can eat newborn babies, because it is very difficult to endure a hundred-day hunger strike.
Boars are very massive and thick-skinned, and it is not easy for a snake to bite through their skin. Meerkats and mongooses have no immunity to the reptile's venom, but are its worst enemies. One need only recall Kipling's famous story about the brave mongoose Rikki-tikki-tavi, who bravely fought against a family of cobras. Fearless and dexterous mongooses and meerkats rely on their mobility, swiftness, resourcefulness and instant reaction when fighting a reptile.
The mongoose has long noticed that the hannah is a little phlegmatic and slow, so he developed a special attack plan for the attack: the animal quickly jumps and immediately bounces, then immediately repeats a series of the same maneuvers, confusing the snake. Having seized the right moment, the mongoose makes its final jump, which ends with a bite in the back of the head of the cobra, which leads the discouraged reptile to death.
Small snakes are threatened by other, larger reptiles, but the most notorious and unsurpassed enemy of the king cobra is a man who destroys snakes purposefully, killing and catching them, and indirectly, through his violent and often thoughtless activities.
Population and species status
The population of the king cobra is steadily declining. This is due to human actions, which are very selfish and uncontrollable. People are trapping cobras to collect their venom, which is highly valued in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields. An antidote is made from the poison that can neutralize the poisonous effect of a snake bite. The poison is used to make painkillers. With its use, many diseases are treated (asthma, epilepsy, bronchitis, arthritis). Cobra venom is used to make creams that counteract skin aging by reducing the appearance of wrinkles. In general, the value of the poison is great, and the king cobra often suffers from this, losing his life.
The reason for the extermination of the cobra is the fact that in many Asian countries its meat is eaten, considering it a valuable and tasty delicacy. An incredible number of dishes are prepared from the meat of the royal reptile, eating it fried, boiled, salted, baked and even marinated. The Chinese eat not only snake skin, but also drink the fresh blood of hannah. On the territory, eating a cobra is considered a whole ritual.
Interesting fact: The Laotians believe that by eating a cobra, they gain its strength, courage, healthy spirit and wisdom.
Cobras often lose their lives because of their own skin, which is highly prized in the fashion industry. Reptile skin has not only beauty, original texture and ornament, but also strength and durability. All kinds of handbags, purses, belts, shoes are sewn from Hanna snake skin, all these fashion accessories cost fabulous sums.
Man influences the population of king cobras through his actions, which often lead to the fact that cobras are forced out of their places of permanent deployment. People are actively developing lands, plowing them for agricultural land, expanding the territories of cities, cutting down dense woodlands building new highways. All this adversely affects the life of many representatives of the fauna, including the king cobra.
It should not be surprising that as a result of all the above human actions, king cobras are becoming less and less, they are under the threat of destruction and their status is listed as vulnerable on conservation lists.
guarding king cobras
It is bitter to realize that king cobras are threatened, their population is constantly declining, due to the fact that it is not possible to eradicate poaching, which flourishes in many countries where the majestic king snake lives. Not only the illegal capture of reptiles, but also the active actions of people occupying snake territories, lead to the death of a considerable number of snakes. Do not forget that only one tenth of the young survive from the entire masonry.
The king cobra is listed as a vulnerable species that is threatened. Because of this, in some countries, the authorities took these reptiles under protection. Back in the eighties of the last century, a law was passed in India, which is still in force, according to which a strict ban was introduced on the killing and illegal capture of these reptiles. The penalty for violating it is a three-year prison term. Hindus consider the king cobra sacred and hang its image in the houses, believing that it will bring prosperity and prosperity to the home.
Interesting fact: In India, there is a festival in honor of the king cobra. On this day, the indigenous people carry snakes from the forest thicket to let them into temples and city streets. Hindus believe that on such a day a snake bite is impossible. After the celebration, all reptiles are taken back to the forest.
At the end, it remains to add that King Cobra, indeed, looks like a blue-blooded person, reminiscent of the Egyptian queen with her beautiful hood and article. No wonder her wisdom and greatness are revered by many peoples. The main thing is that people also remain wise and noble, so that this unique reptile does not disappear from our planet.
The Latin name of the king cobra - Ophiophagus hannah - is translated as "eating snakes", but it does not apply to true cobras - representatives of the Naja genus, therefore this snake was isolated as an independent species.
The size and appearance of the king cobra really inspire respect and fear. Still, because the average length of her body is 3-4 meters, but there are individuals with a length of 5-5.5 meters!
It is not difficult to recognize this snake. A distinctive feature of the king cobra is a narrow hood at the back of the head and neck, decorated with 6 large dark shields in the form of a semicircle. The main color of the snake is brown or greenish brown. It alternates with dark rings encircling the entire body.
The queen of all snakes has an extensive range that stretches from India to the Philippines (South India, Pakistan, South China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Greater Sunda Islands and the Philippines).
For no particular reason, the "queen" does not like to be seen. She prefers to stick to dark caves or holes, of which there are a great many in the jungle.
They are also excellent tree climbers and good swimmers, but still prefer to spend most of their time on the ground. During the capture of prey or the pursuit of the enemy, the snake can move quickly. Therefore, the chances of escaping from the snake by flight are not so great. You will learn about the reasons for such aggressiveness a little below. V Lately there is a tendency for king cobras to move closer to human habitation, and there is an explanation for this.
Firstly, such a neighborhood often occurs during the rainy season and, secondly, the extensive spread of agricultural production in Asian countries leads to deforestation, which is the natural habitat of these snakes. In addition to this, cobras are often seen in crop areas where there are many rodents, and where there are rodents, there are also small snakes - the main food of the king cobra.
Her favorite dish is rat snakes. But at any other opportunity, she is not averse to hunting other species, including poisonous ones. In cases of their deficiency, the "queen" can switch to large lizards, but this does not happen so often.
A powerful venom that has a neurotoxic effect helps the snake to quickly cope with its prey. It causes paralysis of the respiratory muscles, which leads to respiratory arrest and, as a result, to death. The amount of poison injected into the victim when bitten is about 6-7 ml. Such a dose can be fatal even for an elephant, what can we say about a person.
Despite the highly toxic venom and aggressiveness, human deaths from king cobra bites are rare. This is due to the fact that the snake will not waste its "weapon" in vain. First of all, it is necessary for hunting, and in order to scare a person, K. cobra often inflicts “blank bites”. They occur without injection of venom or very little of it to be fatal. If a person received a full bite, then he has no more than half an hour to live. Only the timely administration of an antidote, antivenin, can save him.
Interestingly, the king cobras themselves have developed immunity to their poison, therefore, during the “fights” for the female during the mating season, not one of the gentlemen dies from the bites of an opponent.
January is the beginning of the mating season, when the male goes in search of a female. If there are several applicants, then ritual battles take place. The winner gets the main prize - a female. Then a short acquaintance takes place, during which the male is convinced that the female is not dangerous for him, and the final stage of mating games begins - mating.
The king cobra is one of the few snakes that builds a nest for their eggs. It is a large pile of rotting foliage, located on a small hill (so that it does not flood heavily during tropical downpours). There, the female lays from 20 to 40 eggs, and then constantly maintains a certain temperature in it (from 25 to 29 ° C).
King cobra or hamadryad (lat. Ophiophagus hannah) (English King Cobra)
After laying eggs, the female becomes very aggressive. She guards them around the clock and is ready to throw herself at anyone who passes by her "treasury". Whether it's a small harmless animal or an elephant. As a result, she is often credited aggressive behavior and attack for no apparent reason, although all its aggressiveness is most often associated with the close location of the nest. In addition, during this period, the toxicity of her poison increases, which leads to even more deaths from her bites.
The incubation period lasts about 3 months, after which small, but already highly poisonous cubs hatch into the world. Before that, the female goes in search of food, so as not to eat her babies from hunger. As a result, only 2-4 out of 20-40 kites reach adulthood.
In India, K. cobra is considered a sacred animal, and its killing is punishable not only by religion, but also by laws. Since 1972, a law has been in force prohibiting the killing of cobras unless absolutely necessary. Punishment - imprisonment for up to 3 years.
Images of K. cobra can often be seen in temples. Hindus believe that she understands mantras - sacred spells. According to their belief, this snake has purity and holiness and brings wealth to the house.
Once a year, a holiday dedicated to the king cobra - Nag-panchami - is celebrated. On this day, Hindus bring snakes from the forest and release them in temples or right on the streets. Daredevils put them on their hands, neck, wrap around their heads. And all these tricks with animals go unpunished. According to Indian beliefs, snakes do not bite anyone on this day. After the holiday is over, all the cobras are taken back to the forest.
King cobras live for about 30 years and are constantly growing throughout this period.
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