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King cobra

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This article is about the snake. For the malt liquor brand, see King Cobra (malt liquor). For the movie, see King Cobra (film).

King Cobra
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Reptilia
Order:
Squamata
Suborder:
Serpentes
Family:
Elapidae
Genus:
Ophiophagus
Species:
O. hannah
Binomial name
Ophiophagus hannah
Cantor, 1836
  Distribution of the King Cobra

The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world's longest venomous snake, growing to a length of 5.7 m (18.5 ft)[1] and a weight of up to 9 kg (20 lbs).[2] This species is quite widespread, ranging throughout south-eastern Asia and into India. Its genus name, Ophiophagus, literally means "snake-eater", and its diet primarily consists of other snakes, including sizeable pythons and even smaller members of its own species. The venom of the King Cobra is primarily neurotoxic, and the snake is fully capable of killing a human with a single bite.[3] The mortality rate can be as high as 75%; but most bites actually involve non-fatal amounts of venom.[3][4][5]


profile ==

The King Cobra is a large, powerfully-built snake, reaching lengths of 5.7 m (18.5 feet) and weights of up to 9 kg (20 lbs). The skin is either olive-green, tan, or black and it has faint, pale yellow cross bands down the length of the body. The underbelly is cream or pale yellow, and the scales are smooth. The head of mature snake can be quite massive and bulky in appearance, though like all snakes, they can expand their jaws to swallow large prey items. It has proteroglyph dentition, meaning it has two short, fixed fangs in the front of the mouth which channel venom into the prey like hypodermic needles. The male is larger and thicker than the female.

Habitat

Widespread, but not common, across South and South-east Asia, It lives in dense highlands forest.[1][6] The snake has a preference for living in areas dotted with lakes and streams. King Cobra populations have dropped in some areas of its range due to the destruction of forests, but despite this the snake is not listed by the IUCN as in danger of becoming extinct. It is however listed as an Appendix II Animal within CITES.[7]

Scalation of the King Cobra

Hunting

King Cobras, like other snakes, receive chemical information ("smell") via their forked tongues, which pick up scent particles and transfer them to a special sensory receptor (Jacobson's Organ) located in the roof of its mouth.[1] When the scent of a potential meal has been detected, the snake will continue to flick its tongue to gauge the prey's direction (the twin forks of the tongue acting in stereo); it will also rely on its keen eyesight (King Cobras are able to detect moving prey almost 100 m [300 feet] away) and sensitivity to earth-borne vibration to track its prey.[8] Following envenomation, the King Cobra will begin to swallow its struggling prey whole while its toxins begin the digestion of its victim.[1] King Cobras, as with all other snakes, do not have rigidly fixed jaws. Instead, the jaw bones are connected by extremely pliable ligaments, enabling the lower jaw bones to move independently of each other.[1] Like other snakes, the King Cobra does not chew its food, its prey is swallowed whole. The expansion of the jaw enables the snake to swallow prey much larger than its head.[1]

King Cobras are able to hunt at all times of day, although it is rarely seen at night, leading most herpetologists to classify it as a diurnal species.[1][3]

Diet

The King Cobra's diet is mainly composed of other snakes (ophiophagy): both non-venomous snakes such as pythons and venomous snakes including kraits and Indian Cobras.[3][9] When food is scarce, King Cobras may also feed on other small vertebrates such as lizards, birds, and rodents.[1][9] After a large meal the snake may live for many months without another one due to its slow metabolic rate.[1][3]

Defense

Adult Male King Cobra

If a King Cobra encounters a natural predator, such as the mongoose, which has some resistance to the neurotoxins,[10] the cobra will generally try to flee. If all else fails, it will flatten its upper body by spreading its ribs, forming the distinctive cobra hood about its neck, and emit a high-pitched hiss, sometimes with feigned closed-mouth strikes. These efforts usually prove to be very effective, especially since the cobra is indeed far more dangerous than other potential prey.

Shedding

Like all species of snakes, King Cobras shed their skin, typically four to six times per year as adults and every month as juveniles. To get the skin to start to peel, the King Cobra will rub its snout against rough surfaces to encourage the shedding process.

Venom

King Cobra venom, which is composed mostly of proteins and polypeptides, is produced in specialized salivary glands (as is the case with all venomous reptiles) just behind the animal's eyes. When biting its prey, venom is forced through the snake's half-inch (8-10 mm) fangs and into the wound. Although the venom is less toxic than that of some other venomous snakes, including the Indian Cobra, a King Cobra is capable of injecting more venom than most other serpents due to its large size.[11][12] A single bite from a King Cobra can deliver enough venom to kill a full-grown Asian Elephant within 3 hours if the larger animal is bitten in a vulnerable area such as the trunk.[13][14]

The King Cobra's venom is primarily neurotoxic and thus attacks the victim's central nervous system and quickly induces severe pain, blurred vision, vertigo, drowsiness, and paralysis.[11] In the minutes following, cardiovascular collapse occurs, and the victim falls into a coma. Death soon follows due to respiratory failure. There are two types of antivenin made specifically to treat King Cobra envenomations. The Red Cross in Thailand manufactures one, and the Central Research Institute in India manufactures the other, however both are made in small quantities, and are not widely available.[15]

Despite the King Cobra's fearsome reputation and deadly bite, it is a shy and reclusive animal, avoiding confrontation with humans as often as possible.[9] There are other venomous snakes within this species' range, in fact, that are responsible for more fatal snake bites than the King Cobra, such as the Monocled Cobra, Russell's Viper and Banded Krait.[6]

In Burma, King Cobras are often used by female snake charmers.[9] The charmer is usually tattooed with three pictograms using an ink mixed with snake venom; superstition holds that it protects the charmer from the snake.[9] The charmer kisses the snake on the top of its head at the end of the show.[9]

Reproduction

The mating season is January. Male King Cobras will physically confront each other they will wrestle while constantly trying to stay upright.[12] The snake which manages to keep the other's head down is the victor in this ritual combat. The purpose of the contest is to establish dominance in mating or territorial rights.[12] King Cobras mate annually. The hopeful male snake seduces a female by sliding his body about over her, eventually tempting her into copulation.

Prior to laying, the female uses her coils to gather material together such as branches, dead leaves and similar vegetation, and are the only snakes known to construct an actual nest for their eggs.[1][3][11][12] This can result in a simple clump or an elaborate two tiered construct where the female lays up to 50 eggs in the lower compartment and coils atop them in the upper chamber.[1] The female then remains atop the nest throughout the 60-80 day incubation period, while the male remains in the vicinity until the hatchlings emerge.[1][11] Neonates are 45-50 cm (18-20 inches) long and banded in black and white.[1][3]

The King Cobra belongs to the family Elapidae. There are over 200 species of elapid found around the world, excepting Antarctica and Europe. All are venomous and have short, fixed fangs (proteroglyphs), but may differ widely in habits, behaviour and appearance. Four better known species of the Elapidae are the Coral Snake, Death Adder, Black Mamba, and of course, King Cobra.

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Mehrtens, John (1987). Living Snakes of the World. New York: Sterling. ISBN 0806964618. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  2. ^ "National Geographic: King Cobra". Retrieved 2007-09-05.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Capula, Massimo (1989). Simon & Schuster's Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of the World. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0671690981. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Ophitoxaemia (venomous snake bite)". Retrieved 2007-09-05.
  5. ^ Sean Thomas. "One most Dangerous Snakes in the World". Retrieved 2007-09-05.
  6. ^ a b Miller, Harry (September 1970), "The Cobra, India's "Good Snake"", National Geographic, 20: 393–409{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  7. ^ "CITES List of animal species used in traditional medicine". Retrieved 2007-09-01.
  8. ^ Taylor, David (1997), King Cobra, retrieved 2007-09-08
  9. ^ a b c d e f Coborn, John (October 1991). The Atlas of Snakes of the World. New Jersey: TFH Publications. pp. 30, 452. ISBN 978-0866227490.
  10. ^ Dr. Zoltan Takacs. "Why the cobra is resistant to its own venom". Retrieved 2007-09-05.
  11. ^ a b c d Freiberg, Dr. Marcos (1984). The World of Venomous Animals. New Jersey: TFH. ISBN 0876665679. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ a b c d "MSN Encarta: King Cobra". MSN Encarta. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
  13. ^ "Venomous African Snakes". Retrieved 2007-09-05.
  14. ^ "National Geographic: King Cobra". Retrieved 2007-09-05.
  15. ^ "Munich AntiVenom Index:Ophiophagus hannah". Munich Poison Center. MAVIN (Munich AntiVenom Index). 01/02/2007. Retrieved 2007-09-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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