Cobra Snake

Snakes are vertebrate reptiles that belong to the kingdom Animalia. Although they seem flexible with bodies that can coil in a perfect round, they have bones and a vertebral column. There are innumerable snake species known to man and all of them are carnivores. Snakes differ from each other on the basis of numerous features like being poisonous or non poisonous, skin color, behavior, habitat, reproduction, etc. Here we will see more on the cobra snake along with some interesting pictures on the same.

Pictures of Cobra Snakes

Cobra Snakes

There may be few people in the world who have never heard about the cobra. It is one of the most widely known species of snake all over the world among the all the different types of snakes. All the cobra snakes belong to the genus Naja and have the characteristic hood which helps in their easy identifications (see cobra snake pictures). More than 20 species of cobra snakes belong to the genus Naja like the King cobra, the spitting cobra, Indian cobra, tree cobra, etc.

Physical Appearance
Cobras are long, slender and usually found in darker colors like brown and black. Most of the species of cobra have an average length of 6 feet; however, some can also grow longer than that, for e.g., the King Cobra snake (18 feet). As mentioned above, all cobra snakes are known for their hood which also gives them the name 'hooded snakes'. Cobras have an ability to raise their head and flatten it when they feel threatened or endangered. One of the interesting cobra snake facts is that the hood can only be seen when the snake is threatened and it prepared itself ready for an attack.

Diet and Habitat
They are carnivores and rodents and birds are their typical preys. Some species of the cobra snake, like the King cobra is believed to eat snakes of the same species. When talking of the ordinary or the king cobra habitat, one should note that these snakes are found in open lands, deserts, forests, near water, etc. One should remember that all snakes and cobra snakes are carnivores and hence, humans are not their preys. A snake only tends to strike when it feels itself in danger.

Cobra Snakebite
When talking of the snake striking, all cobras are extremely venomous, i.e., they can kill their prey with a single fatal bite. These snakes have venom in their teeth that are located in the upper frontal jaws. The venomous teeth of cobra snakes are similar to the canines of human beings. When the cobra bites its prey, the venom gets injected in the body and the prey dies after some time. The spitting cobra is an exception to this, as it tends to spit or squirt the venom on its prey when endangered. If you wish to know which is the most venomous snakes in the world, then it is the King cobra which can even kill an elephant with its bite. You can take a look at the king cobra snake pictures.

Reproduction
One of the interesting ordinary cobra and king cobra facts is that these snakes build nests and lay eggs. On an average a female cobra lays 20-40 eggs and the young ones come out of it after 2-2.5 months. One should be aware of the fact that cobras are highly venomous right from their births and are capable of killing their preys and human beings (if not treated on time).

Quick Cobra Snake Facts

• One of the interesting spitting cobra facts is that the characteristic ability of spitting venom is used by the snake in order to defend itself and not to catch its prey. It bites its prey like other cobras.
• The Indian cobra is widely seen in a roadside show known as snake charming performed in India. However, it is widely banned under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
• The King cobra is different from the ordinary cobra in size and ability of being poisonous.
• In some countries of South Asia like Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, etc. snakes are even served as delicacies.
• When a cobra strikes a human, the venom acts on the nervous system resulting in unconsciousness and paralysis. However, there is anti venom or antivenin available which helps to treat poisonous snakebite. Recovery can be possible only if immediate treatment is taken.

I hope you enjoyed reading information on cobra snakes with pictures. Lastly, note that cobras and king cobra snakes are widely hunted for their skins which will make them endangered species in near future. Therefore, we all should together and try to save these fascinating species on Earth. Good luck!