King Cobra Snake - Ophiophagus hannah (World's longest venomous snake)
Amazing King Cobra Snake - King Cobra Facts, Photos, Information, Habitats, News
The king
cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world's longest venomous snake, with a
length up to 5.6 m (18.5 ft). This species is widespread throughout Southeast
Asia and parts of India, and is found mostly in forested areas. The king
cobra can be fierce and agile, and can deliver a large quantity of highly
potent venom in a single bite. It is one of the most dangerous and
feared Asiatic snakes. The King Cobra is a large and powerful snake,
averaging 3.6–4 m (12–13 feet) in length and typically weighing about 6 kg
(13.2 lb). A particularly large specimen was kept captive at the London Zoo,
and grew to 5.7 m (18.8 ft) before being euthanized upon the outbreak of World
War II. Despite their large size, king cobras are fast and agile.
It seems
unfairly menacing that a snake that can literally "stand up" and look
a full-grown person in the eye would also be among the most venomous on the
planet, but that describes the famous king cobra.
King cobras
can reach 18 feet (5.5 meters) in length, making them the longest of all
venomous snakes. When confronted, they can raise up to one-third of their
bodies straight off the ground and still move forward to attack. They will also
flare out their iconic hoods and emit a bone-chilling hiss that sounds almost
like a growling dog.
Their venom is
not the most potent among venomous snakes, but the amount of neurotoxin they
can deliver in a single bite—up to two-tenths of a fluid ounce (seven
milliliters)—is enough to kill 20 people, or even an elephant. Fortunately,
king cobras are shy and will avoid humans whenever possible, but they are
fiercely aggressive when cornered.
King cobras
live mainly in the rain forest and plains of India, southern China, and
Southeast Asia, and their coloring can vary greatly from region to region. They
are comfortable in the trees, on land and in water, feeding mainly on
other snakes, venomous and nonvenomous. They will also eat lizards, eggs, and
small mammals.
They are the
only snakes in the world that build nests for their eggs, which they guard
ferociously until the hatchlings emerge.
King cobras
may be best known as the species of choice for the snake charmers of South
Asia. Although cobras can hear, they are actually deaf to ambient noises,
sensing ground vibrations instead. The charmer's flute entices the cobra by its
shape and movement, not by the music it emits.
Fast
Facts about King Cobra Snake
Type: Reptile
Diet: Carnivore
Average
life span in the wild: 20 years
Size: 13 ft (4 m)
Weight: Up to 20 lbs (9 kg)
Group name:
Quiver
Did you
know? Synthetic
cobra venom is used in pain Relievers and arthritis medication.
King
Cobra Snake Images / Pictures
