Facts About Cobra

The very mention of a snake can bring uncomfortable feelings in many people. On top of that, if the discussion is about cobras, you can expect people to break into a cold sweat or at least have goosebumps all over! The Cobra is not a single snake; rather it is a common name for the members of the family of venomous snakes known as Elapidae. The cobra is found in places that experience hot tropical climate like Philippines, Southern Asia and Africa. There are almost 270 different types of cobras that are found and all have short venom fangs and are considered to be extremely dangerous. Though they don’t attack without a cause, when provoked, they can be extremely dangerous and a bite may prove fatal. The cobras are usually brown, brownish-black or a dull grey in color. A certain specie of the cobra is known as the Spitting Cobra, which is known to spit deadly venom straight into the eyes of a predator!

Facts About Cobra

Class: Reptilia

Order: Serpentes

Family: Elapidae

Diet: Lizards, Fish, Frogs and other Snakes

Natural Habitat: Warm-climate habitat, usually inhabiting on land, trees and also in water

Age: About 20 years

Gestation Period: 60-80 days (depending on the specie)

Number of Eggs: 20 - 40

Interesting & Amazing Information about Cobra

The venom fangs of a cobra are half an inch long and can go deep into the skin to lodge venom directly into the blood stream.
The largest venomous snake among the cobras is the King Cobra. This snake can grow upto a length of 18 feet and if it stands upright, it can look you right in the eye!
The venom from a single bite of a King Cobra is enough to kill a full grown adult elephant or 10-15 adult humans.
The anti-dote to a deadly cobra bite is the venom itself. Since many years, the venom has been tested and used as an effective anti-dote by doctors. A small quantity of the venom is injected into the victim, which causes an allergic reaction. The body produces natural immunity against the action of the venom thus eliminating its effect.
The cobra has excellent night vision and detects its prey with a superior sense of smell. The forked tongue is flicked in and out with which it catches on different smells. The cobra is able to detect even the slightest changes in the temperature and if a prey is nearby, it can feel its body temperature and thus attack accurately.
The largest cobra is the King Cobra, which can grow upto 5.5 m or 18 feet long. The smallest cobras are the Ringhals and Mozambique spitting cobras, which grow upto lengths of 4 feet.
The most common feature that comes to mind when a cobra is mentioned is its spread hood. When threatened or angry, a cobra raises its head and spreads out its hood, looking scary to potential predators. The hood is made up of flaps of skin that is attached to long ribs behind the head.
Cobras don’t hew their prey; instead they swallow them whole. Though many people think snakes can dislocate their lower jaw to swallow their prey, it is a common misconception. The joints in their skull and jaws are quite flexible which allows them to open up their mouths really wide to swallow down their easily.
Cobras don’t hunt on a regular basis. After a good meal, it may eat again after a couple of months, since the metabolism of the snake is very slow.

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