Cobra Snake Facts

Everyone knows who is known as the king of all snakes. Without making any mistake, any snake lover would give the answer as the King cobra. The King cobra has the reputation of being the longest venomous snake of all. As a kid and even now, I always had this fascination towards snakes. I always wanted to keep a snake as a pet, but then understanding that it would require a lot of care-taking for these cold blooded animals, I thought that it is best to let them be in the wild, in their natural habitat. It is important to know about snakes and gather as much as information as possible.

Facts About the Cobra

The cobra is from the Elapidae family of venomous snakes, class Reptilia. They are most famous for their venom. You would never want to encounter a cobra in the wild. Even if you did, then too you are on a safe side unless you bother them. Always remember snakes are not out there to harm us, they only do so if they are provoked. The cobra is also dreaded because of the attacking position it takes before or when attacking. They spread their hood to make them look bigger. Well, they don't realize that their presence itself is a lot to frighten us. The hood is made up of flaps of skin which is attached to its long ribs. When they get angry or frightened they spread their hood.

Cobras also have the ability to lift themselves considerably, from the ground to show their might. The spitting cobra is famously known to spit venom into the eyes of its enemy, and it does it with precision. There are about 270 different types of cobras that are found around the globe. Most of them are either gray, dark gray, brownish-black or brown in color. Rats, lizards, frogs, fish, chicken, birds or other snakes form the diet of these species of snakes. They prefer warm, hot-tropical climates like in the Philippines, Southern Asia and Africa. Their life-span is approx. 20 years. Cobras lay about 20-40 eggs at a time. Apart from spewing deadly venom, they also possess half inch fangs, which has the ability to pierce through the skin. If bitten, a person will need to be given an anti-dote which is nothing but the snake venom itself.

The King Cobra

Probably the most popular of all is the King cobra, which is the longest venomous snake and one of the most deadliest snakes in the world. King cobras can be expected to reach lengths of about 18 feet. It was believed that the longest specimen caught was almost 24 feet long! The venom of the King cobra is so lethal that a single bite releases enough venom to kill a full-grown elephant, or it can easily kill a dozen people. Many people do not know that the King cobra is a type of cobra and is not the name of the cobra species itself. They lay approx. 20-40 eggs at a time and the incubation takes approx 60-90 days. The eggs are guarded with immense caution by the female. It would be interesting to know that King cobras are probably the only snakes in the world which build nests for their young ones!

The King cobras are extremely shy snakes, and mostly bushes and trees make up its habitat. The King cobras are known to eat other snakes too. Hence, they are lethal machines for other snakes also. Most of the cobras are shy and often run away or try to hide if seen. King cobras are an exception, if they are seen or are confronted, they are believed to take their stand and display their aggressive nature by spreading the hood and raising themselves from the ground.

The Indian Cobra

The Indian cobra is another species of cobra snakes which are most venomous and are found in the Indian subcontinent. The Indian cobras have been a part of Indian culture and have been worshiped since a long time. One of the most famous Indian cobra is the Spectacle cobra. The reason why it is called so is because of a spectacle-like design which gets formed behind its hood. One look at this creature will make you fall in love with their beauty, one of the most beautiful snakes found in India and Southeast Asia.

The Indian cobra can grow up to 7-9 feet. They can be easily recognized because of their specific design. They've got ring-like design on their head and are mostly brown or grayish-black in color. The Indian cobra has the ability to produce haemotoxic venom. Haemotoxic venom is a type of snake venom which is highly dangerous, as it directly affects the blood going to the heart. The venom is stored in the salivary glands of the cobra, hence when bitten, it exerts pressure on its muscles forcing the venom into the prey's body.

One of the most interesting cobra snake facts is that it is at to the top of the food chain and its only enemies are the mongoose and man. Their natural habitat is depleting because of deforestation and increasing human population, which results in utilization of agricultural land or forest land for in-habitation or for industrialization. It is sad to see that snakes are killed for a variety of reasons and sometimes they are killed just because they are there. Like I said before, snakes do not mean to harm us, they only attack for self defense or if provoked. A humble request to all my readers, if you happen to spot a snake please do not kill it, rather call up the snake rescue team and help save a snake. Cheers!