Facts About Cobras. Cobras, with their threatening hoods and intimidating upright postures, are some of the most iconic snakes on Earth. Their elegance, prideful stance and venomous bite have made them both respected and feared. The word comes from the Portuguese cobra de capello, which means . Genetically, “true” cobras are members of the genus Naja, but according to Viernum, often “the name cobra references several species of snakes, most of which are in the venomous snake family Elapidae. Elpididae includes other snakes like coral snakes, kraits and mambas.” Many of these snakes either possess hoods or the ability to raise the upper part of their body. These snakes cannot hold their fangs down on prey so they inject venom through their fangs, according to the San Diego Zoo. They have an excellent sense of smell and night vision. In addition to their trademark hoods, cobras have round pupils and smooth scales. There are red, yellow, black, mottled, banded and many other colors and patterns of cobra. According to Cape Snake Conservation, the forest cobra is the largest true cobra, reaching 1.
In the 1800s mongooses were introduced to several islands in Hawaii and the West Indies in order to control the rodent populations on sugarcane plantations. Facts and information about King Cobras. Home Animals of the World Animal Photos The Animal Kingdom Animal Activities About Us Shop Contact Us. Ashe’s spitting cobra is 9 feet (2. The smallest species is the Mozambique spitting cobra, which is about 4 feet long (1. King cobras, the longest of all venomous snakes, can reach 1. Johnson (Lerner, 2. Africa and Southern Asia. They like to spend time underground, under rocks and in trees. Credit: The Cobra Information Site. The most distinctive behavioral characteristics of cobras are their defensive displays,” said Viernum. Cobras may hiss loudly at predators and other threats, and some species also spit. Females typically lay 2. According to India’s Snake. World, cobras will stay near the eggs and defend them until they hatch. Wild boars and mongooses are known to steal cobra eggs. According to Cobras. They can bite the cobra’s back before the snake can defend itself. Cobras are also threatened from other snakes and humans. Often, they eat birds, small mammals, lizards, eggs, carrion and other snakes. They slither through the wilderness silently, following their prey until they are ready to attack. According to the San Diego Zoo, most cobras hunt at dawn or dusk, though some species forage during the heat of the day. Fortunately, antivenin is available and sometimes lives can also be saved with the use of an artificial respirator. Viernum explained cobras’ neurotoxic venom’s effects: “Like coral snakes, cobras have potent neurotoxic venom, which acts on the nervous system. Symptoms from a neurotoxic cobra bite can include problems with vision, difficulty swallowing and speaking, skeletal muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, respiratory failure, vomiting, abdominal pain, necrosis, and anticoagulation.” . According to the American Museum of Natural History, spitting cobras also have the ability to shoot venom from their fangs directly into the eyes of the victim with terrifying accuracy. Venom in the eyes can lead to blindness if not washed out well. Egyptian cobras possess a deadly venom that attacks the nervous system. Credit: public domain. Taxonomy/classification. According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), the taxonomy of . The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the only member of its genus. Though they can reach lengths of up to 1. Viernum said, their average length is 1. Nevertheless, when they rear up the front third of their body under threat, the “stance can be quite high.” An especially long snake could be as tall as a person, meaning that an angry king cobra could literally look you in the eye. National Geographic compares their warning hiss to a growing dog. Though there are other snakes with more potent venom, the amount of neurotoxin that a king cobra can emit in one bite is enough to kill 2. Fortunately, king cobras are shy and avoid people. According to the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web (ADW), nesting females may attack without provocation. Their coloring varies from region to region. They are enticed by the shape and movement of the flute. Snake Facts - Cobra. Cobras are famous for the threatening hood at their neck. Kraits feed almost totally on other snakes. That’s right, it can spit! The venom it spits out can spray more than 1. Unfortunately for the one being spit at, this snake.
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