The King Cobra
The
king cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world. Special muscles
and ribs in its neck spread out to form a "hood" when the cobra feels
threatened. This makes the snake look bigger than it really is and may
help scare predators away.
King cobras make a deep, loud hiss, a warning signal that can be heard from a distance. The message is: "I am big, bad, and will bite you if you come any closer!"
Most cobras are known to protect their eggs after laying them, but the female king cobra does even more. She uses her body and head to move leaves around to build a nest. After she lays her eggs, she covers them with more leaves and stays on top of the nest until the eggs hatch.
Look for our king cobras, as well as other cobra species, in the Zoo’s popular Reptile House.
Cobras are venomous snakes related to taipans, coral snakes, and mambas, all members of the Elapidae family. Snakes in this family cannot fold their fangs down, as vipers can, so the fangs are generally shorter. They kill their prey by injecting venom through their fangs. The venom is a neurotoxin that stops the victim's breathing and heartbeat. A cobra only attacks a human if it feels threatened. As with any venomous snake, a bite from a cobra can be deadly if not treated properly.
Cobras come in varying colors from black or dark brown to yellowish white. They have specialized muscles and ribs in the neck that can flare out when the cobra feels threatened. Cobras are able to raise their body up, spread the hood, and hiss loudly to scare off most threats.
The deep loud hiss of a large king cobra alone is enough to make one's hair stand up on end! This works much the same way as the rattle of the rattlesnake works: it is a warning sign that can be heard at a safe distance. The message is, "I am big, bad, and will bite you if you come any closer!"
What predator would even try to attack a cobra? The snake's biggest enemy is the mongoose, an animal quick enough to dart in and bite the back of the cobra's neck before the snake can defend itself.
#collected if you need more information then visit this link:
http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/cobra
King cobras make a deep, loud hiss, a warning signal that can be heard from a distance. The message is: "I am big, bad, and will bite you if you come any closer!"
Most cobras are known to protect their eggs after laying them, but the female king cobra does even more. She uses her body and head to move leaves around to build a nest. After she lays her eggs, she covers them with more leaves and stays on top of the nest until the eggs hatch.
Look for our king cobras, as well as other cobra species, in the Zoo’s popular Reptile House.
Cobras are venomous snakes related to taipans, coral snakes, and mambas, all members of the Elapidae family. Snakes in this family cannot fold their fangs down, as vipers can, so the fangs are generally shorter. They kill their prey by injecting venom through their fangs. The venom is a neurotoxin that stops the victim's breathing and heartbeat. A cobra only attacks a human if it feels threatened. As with any venomous snake, a bite from a cobra can be deadly if not treated properly.
Cobras come in varying colors from black or dark brown to yellowish white. They have specialized muscles and ribs in the neck that can flare out when the cobra feels threatened. Cobras are able to raise their body up, spread the hood, and hiss loudly to scare off most threats.
The deep loud hiss of a large king cobra alone is enough to make one's hair stand up on end! This works much the same way as the rattle of the rattlesnake works: it is a warning sign that can be heard at a safe distance. The message is, "I am big, bad, and will bite you if you come any closer!"
What predator would even try to attack a cobra? The snake's biggest enemy is the mongoose, an animal quick enough to dart in and bite the back of the cobra's neck before the snake can defend itself.
#collected if you need more information then visit this link:
http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/cobra
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