King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)
Image Copyright Stian Giordano Dahler
Last Observed: 2014
Observed By: Hans Goossens
The infamous, magnificent king cobra is the world’s longest species of venomous snake, growing in rare cases to nearly six metres in length. It isn’t that closely related to other species of cobra and instead is the sole member of its own genus.
The king cobra feeds mainly on other snakes. So if you see one you can make a fair guess that there are other snakes nearby. They are probably hiding though.
The snake is predominantly a grey-green colour with a paler belly but can also be tan or even black in colour. Juvenile snakes are totally different in appearance though being black with yellow bands across. They can be confused with the banded Krait but are distinguishable by their characteristic hood.
King cobras locate prey with an extremely attuned sense of smell, keen eyesight and a sensitivity to small vibrations in the earth.
Dangerous?
King cobras have a highly toxic venom that they inject in large quantities when they bite. And they react very aggresively when they feel threatened, adopting the characteristic cobra hood and rearing stance that displays a preparedness to strike.
But studies have revealed that their first instinct is to avoid confrontation and cases of king cobra bites are surprisingly rare, particularly so since it is so frequently encountered by people.
One piece of good advice when confronted by a provoked and aggresive king cobra is to slowly remove a hat or other piece of clothing and toss it to the ground while backing away. Then a change of shorts might be in order.
