The king cobra, one of the world’s most poisonous snakes, can actually “rise up” and stare a fully grown human in the face.
They can raise up to a third of their body off the ground and yet rush forward to strike when confronted.
Thankfully, king cobras are fearful of people and will avoid them if feasible. It will also flaunt its trademark hood and produce a hiss that resembles a snarling dog.
The king cobra, the longest of all poisonous snakes, may grow to reach 18 feet long.
Venom
Although their venom isn’t the most lethal among poisonous snakes, the quantity of neurotoxic they can deliver in a single bite, up to two-tenths of a fluid ounce, is enough to kill 20 humans or an elephant.
The venom of the king cobra damages the brain’s respiratory centers, resulting in respiratory arrest and heart failure.
Habitat and behavior
The rain forests and plains of India, southern China, and Southeast Asia are home to king cobras, and their coloration varies widely from location to region.
Forests, bamboo thickets, mangrove swamps, high-altitude meadows, and rivers are among their favorite places to live.
This species feeds mostly on venomous and nonvenomous snakes. Lizards, eggs, and small animals are also on their menu.
They are the world’s only snakes that construct nests for their eggs, which they fiercely protect until the hatchlings emerge.
Snake charmers
In South Asia, king cobras are arguably best known as the snake charmer’s preferred species.
Although cobras can hear, they are deaf to ambient noises and instead detect ground vibrations. According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, snake enchanting is “often a tragic con game in which a weary cobra is pushed on the defensive, yet conditioned (with pain) not to strike the flutist.”
