King Cobra

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iKing 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

The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the longest of the venomous land snakes,
growing up to 18.5 feet (5.7 meters) in length. Because they are slender, however,
these snakes usually do not exceed 20 kg (44 lb). The snake's venom is a powerful
neurotoxin known to be frequently fatal to humans. The mortality rate in untreated
King Cobra bites is 75%. Although called a Cobra it does not belong to the same
genus (Naja) as "true" cobras. The King Cobra is peculiar in that it feeds almost
exclusively on other snakes, which is reflected in its genus name of Ophiophagus
(Snake eater). The King Cobra is known to attack larger snakes, including pythons. In
spite of the King Cobra's fearsome reputation, it is generally a shy and reclusive
animal, avoiding confrontation with people as much as possible. There are many
smaller venomous snakes within this species' range that are responsible for a far
greater number of fatal snake bites.
Like cobras, the king cobra lifts around a third of its body off the ground, makes a
hood, and hisses loudly when it feels threatened. A fully-grown King Cobra would
therefore be able to stare at a standing human directly in the eye, making it a
terrifying sight and giving it a near-mythical reputation as a deadly snake.

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Habitat
• 2 Hunting, diet and venom
• 3 Gallery
• 4 References

• 5 External links

[edit] Habitat
The King Cobra lives in much of mainland India, southern China, Malaysia, the
Philippines, and throughout the dense highland forests of southeastern Asia. In the
mountainous regions of India, king cobras have been known to live in altitudes
exceeding 6,500 feet (approx. 2000m) above sea level. The snake has a preference for
living in areas dotted with lakes and streams, and is an excellent swimmer. King
Cobra populations have dropped in some areas of its range due to the destruction of
forests, but despite this the snake is in no danger of becoming extinct.

Scalation of the King Cobra

[edit] Hunting, diet and venom

King cobras, like all other snakes, smell using their forked tongue which picks up the
preys scent particles and transfers them to a special sensory receptor (Jacobson's
Organ), located in the roof of its mouth. When the scent of a potential meal has been
detected, the snake will continue to flicker its tongue to guage the preys direction (the
twin forks of the tongue acting in stereo) the snake will also rely on its excellent
eyesight (able to detect moving prey almost 328 feet (100 meters) away), sensitivity
to vibrations, and outstanding intelligence (compared to that of other cobra species) to
track its prey. Following envenomation, the king cobra will begin to swallow its
struggling prey whole (due to a lack of serrated cutting teeth) while toxins begin
digesting the victim. 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 independantly of each other. This enables all snakes to
swallow prey much larger than their head size.

The king cobra's diet is mainly composed of other snakes (ophiophagy). When food is
scarce though, king cobras will also feed on other small vertebrates, such as lizards.
After a large meal the snake may live for many months without another meal due to a
very slow metabolic rate. King cobras are able to hunt at all times of day, although it
is rarely seen at night, leading some to erroneously classify it as a diurnal species.

If a king cobra encounters a threatening natural predator, such as the mongoose,

which while not immune to the snake's venom has some resistance to the
neurotoxins,[1] the cobra will generally try to flee. If all else fails, the cobra will flatten
its upper ribs forming a hood around its neck and emit a high-pitched hiss, sometimes
with feigned closed-mouth strikes.

King cobra venom, which is composed mostly of proteins and polypeptides, is

produced in specialized salivary glands just behind the animal's eyes. When the king
cobra bites its prey, venom is forced through the snake's half-inch-long (8-10 mm)
fangs and into the wound. A king cobra is capable of injecting more venom than any
other snake except the gaboon viper. In fact, a king cobra can deliver enough venom
to kill a full-grown Asian Elephant in 3 hours.

King cobra venom attacks the victim's nervous system and quickly induces severe
pain, blurred vision, vertigo, drowsiness, and paralysis. In the minutes following,
cardiovascular collapse occurs, and the prey 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 [1]manufactures another. Both are made in small quantity,
and are not widely available.[2] Several studies indicate that the annual mortality
incidence in India is still 5.6-12.6 per 100,000 of population.[citation needed]

Drop for drop the king cobra's venom is less lethal than many other snakes, including
that of rattlesnakes, kraits, mambas and the common cobra, but the volume injected
can be as much as .2 fluid ounces (7 mL), which makes up for lack of potency and is
enough to kill 20-30 people.[citation needed]

[edit] Gallery
St. Louis Zoo
Adult Male King Cobra,
Ophiophagus hannah
Juvenile King Cobra, Ophiophagus
hannah