Animal Planet :: King Cobra and I

February 10, 2012

Cobra Fact File

	King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) Princes and Princesses After a 60- to 90-day incubation period, the king cobra's eggs are ready to hatch. Just before they do, the mother departs; she's fasted for two to three months and might otherwise be tempted to eat her young, as king cobras feed almost exclusively on snakes. At birth, a king cobra hatchling is around 14 inches in length and 1/2 inch wide. It's glossy black with bright yellow bands, and its venom is as potent as an adult's. Even at birth the king cobra is very alert and will flare its hood if provoked. Ten days after birth, the hatchlings molt and are ready to begin hunting. They are vulnerable to civets, mongooses, giant centipedes and army ants for the first several months. «« back to main The Cannibalistic Cobra The king cobra preys almost exclusively on snakes, and will even cannibalize smaller individuals of its own species. It mainly preys on nonvenomous snakes, like small pythons and rat snakes, but will also eat cobras, kraits and other very venomous snakes. It will also eat the occasional monitor lizard, which is very close to snakes evolutionarily. In captivity, the king cobra can be "taught" to eat warm-blooded prey by making the animal — often a mouse or rat — smell like a snake. A diurnal snake, the king cobra actively forages for prey during the day, using its sense of smell to locate prey and excellent eyesight to strike. «« back to main Ready to Strike When a king cobra is under attack or about to strike at prey, it quickly coils the lower two-thirds of its body, raises the front third and spreads its narrow hood. If on the defense, it will let out a long, low hiss to warn of an impending bite. If on the attack, it will skip the hissing and strike downward at its target. Unlike many of its short-fanged relatives, which have to hold and chew their victims to inject venom, the king cobra can do so with a quick strike. If its prey flees, the king cobra will give chase in an upright position so that it's ready to deliver the fatal blow at any moment. «« back to main

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