Fascinating Facts About Cobra Snake

Fascinating Facts About  Cobra Snake

Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Cobra

1. The common name ‘cobra’ applies to 30 species in 7 genera within the family Elapidae, all of which can produce a hood when threatened. All cobra species are venomous.

2.  As a group, cobras have an extensive distribution over large parts of Africa, Asia, Malaysia and Indonesia.

3. The term ‘cobra’ is abbreviated from the Portuguese ‘cobra de capello’, which means ‘snake with hood’.

4. Typically, cobras breed in spring and all species lay eggs (oviparous), except for Hemachatus hemachatus that has live young (ovoviviparous, where the eggs are hatched inside the mother’s body).

5. Uniquely, the king cobra builds a nest and protects the eggs prior to hatching.

6. Within their native range, the 30 species of cobra are subject to predation from about 30 species of mongoose, their principal predators.

7. Black Forest Cobra has especially toxic neurotoxic venom. It is normally shy but will raise its hood and bite readily if pressured.

8. Did you know that cobras eat other snakes venomous or not venomous? Wow! They also feed on lizards, bird’s eggs and other small animals. When food is scarce, the cobra eats small insects such as ants and flies.  

9. The cobra smells odors and scents with its forked tongue. When food is smelled, the cobra will flick its tongue and search for the meal. They are able to detect food from 100m (300ft.) away.

10. Like some other reptiles, cobras swallow their prey whole head first when they eat! The top and bottom jaws are attached to each other with stretchy ligaments which let the snake swallow animals that are larger than itself. The cobra mostly eats cold-blooded animals like lizards and snakes. After it eats a large animal, the cobra can go without food for months.

11. Cobras are 3~6 m. (12~18ft.) long. Their lifespan is about 20 years. Cobra’s scales are brown, black, green or yellow. The throat is light yellow or cream-colored.

12. Cobras live in grasslands in India, China, Pakistan and Iran. They also live in dense highland forests in South-Eastern Asia. Cobras mostly live in areas with a body of water.

13. The cobra’s natural predator is the mongoose and it will try to flee when it meets one.If fleeing fails, then it will flatten its upper body by spreading its ribs and emit a high-pitched hissing sound. It is very effective since a cobra is more dangerous than a mongoose.It works on other prey too!

14. Some cobras build small nests where the female lays eggs. The number of eggs depends on the weather and the amount of food. The average number of eggs is 20~50.The eggs are laid approximately 9 weeks after mating. Cobras emerge from the eggs in 2 to 3 months. Baby cobras are venomous right from the start!

15. Did you know that there is a weird species of cobras that squirt the venom? Isn’t it very surprising? These Spitting Cobras squirt the venom at the victim’s eyes. These cobras have fangs that are shaped so that they can send the poisonous venom forward when they tilt their head back. Spitting Cobra venom only harms you when it hits you in the eyes. The venom causes severe irritation and even blindness if not washed out immediately.

16. The cobra’s family, which is the Elapidae, is a family that is equipped with inflatable neck hoods. The Elapidae family contains other snakes like Black Mambas, King Cobras, Coral Snakes, Asian Kraits and a large number of Australian Snakes.

17. The name cobra comes from this Portuguese word, cobra de capello, which means snake with a hood.  The cobra’s venom is enough to kill 20 people. That is enough to kill an elephant! Their fangs are up to 1 inch long!

18. Cobras are deaf, but they can feel sound vibrations.

19. King cobras are the largest venomous snake in the world. They can grow up to 18 feet long in the wild. A king cobra also has the ability to deliver a dry bite which is when the snake injects no venom into its target. When it feels threatened it opens its hood (expands the skin on its neck) to warn predators. it is also the only species  of snake able to spit poison.