(�`�._.�[��V��]�._.���) King Cobra

[KKAVYAA NANDA]

King Cobra[image: The image
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It seems unfairly menacing that a snake that can literally "stand up" and
look a full-grown person in the eye would also be among the most venomous on
the planet, but that describes the famous king cobra.

King cobras can reach 18 feet (5.5 meters) in length, making them the
longest of all venomous snakes. When confronted, they can raise up to
one-third of their bodies straight off the ground and still move forward to
attack. They will also flare out their iconic hoods and emit a bone-chilling
hiss that sounds almost like a growling dog.

Their venom is not the most potent among venomous snakes, but the amount of
neurotoxin they can deliver in a single bite—up to two-tenths of a fluid
ounce (seven milliliters)—is enough to kill 20 people, or even an elephant.
Fortunately, king cobras are shy and will avoid humans whenever possible,
but they are fiercely aggressive when cornered.

King cobras live mainly in the rain forests and plains of India, southern
China, and Southeast Asia, and their coloring can vary greatly from region
to region. They are comfortable in the trees, on land, and in water, feeding
mainly on other snakes, venomous and nonvenomous. They will also eat
lizards, eggs, and small mammals.

They are the only snakes in the world that build nests for their eggs, which
they guard ferociously until the hatchlings emerge.

King cobras may be best known as the species of choice for the snake
charmers of South Asia. Although cobras can hear, they are actually deaf to
ambient noises, sensing ground vibrations instead. The charmer's flute
entices the cobra by its shape and movement, not by the music it emits.(NGC)