Deadly Serpent

IT seems unbelievable that a snake can rear up and look an adult man in the eye but that’s exactly what a king cobra can do! It is the world’s longest venomous snake, reaching lengths of 4 to 5.5 metres (13 to 18 feet). When the snake is provoked, it lifts one-third of its body straight off the ground, spreads its hood and emits a deep, raspy hiss that is more like a growl. It can launch itself and strike while holding this ‘standing’ pose.

King cobras are found in the rainforests and plains throughout India, southern China and Southeast Asia. The snake is elusive and usually avoids human contact and only a handful of fatal bites have been recorded. However, because of the destruction of its habitat, it is probably seen more frequently in the open or near inhabited areas. This has led people to fear it and kill it on sight.

Unusually among snakes, the female king cobra builds a nest for her eggs and will guard them fiercely till they hatch. The hatchlings are venomous as soon as they are born even though they are only a few centimetres long.

Fact File

• The Latin name for the king cobra is ‘ophiophagus’ which means ‘snake-eater’. Its main prey is other snakes, even venomous ones, though it also eats lizards, frogs, birds’ eggs and small mammals.
• It is olive green, brown or black in colour with pale bands marked along the whole length of its body.
• A collection of king cobras is called a ‘quiver’.
• Its venom has been synthesised for use in medicines for arthritis and in painkillers.

The venom of the king cobra, though not as potent as those of other snake species, is still powerful. Around 7 ml of venom is delivered in a single bite and can kill 20 people or even an elephant. The venom is a neurotoxin, that is, it causes death by paralysis and suffocation.

According to Romulus Whitaker, renowned Indian herpetologist and founder of the Madras Snake Park, the king cobra is endangered and on the IUCN (International Union

for Conservation of Nature) Red List because of

rampant trade in its body parts. The skin and meat are valuable ingredients in Chinese medicines.