Cobras, with their threatening hoods and intimidating upright postures, are some of the most iconic snakes on Earth. Their elegance, prideful stance and venomous bite have made them both respected and feared.
“Cobras occur throughout Africa, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia,” said Sara Viernum, a herpetologist based in Madison, Wisconsin. The word comes from the Portuguese cobra de capello, which means "hooded snake."
There is some disagreement about what exactly a cobra is, and the number of cobra species ranges from 28 to about 270 depending on how a cobra is defined. Genetically, “true” cobras are members of the genus Naja, but according to Viernum, often “the name cobra references several species of snakes, most of which are in the venomous snake family Elapidae. Elpididae includes other snakes like coral snakes, kraits and mambas.” Many of these snakes either possess hoods or the ability to raise the upper part of their body.
The king cobra is an example of a snake with "cobra" in its name, but it is not a member of the Naja genus. The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the only member of its genus.
“The king cobra is the longest species of venomous snake in the world,” said Viernum. Though they can reach lengths of up to 18 feet, Viernum said, their average length is 10 to 13 feet. Nevertheless, when they rear up the front third of their body under threat, the “stance can be quite high.” An especially long snake could be as tall as a person, meaning that an angry king cobra could literally look you in the eye.
National Geographic compares their warning hiss to a growing dog. Though there are other snakes with more potent venom, the amount of neurotoxin that a king cobra can emit in one bite is enough to kill 20 people — or one elephant. Fortunately, king cobras are shy and avoid people.
King cobras are the only species of snake to build nests for their young, which they guard ferociously. According to the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web (ADW), nesting females may attack without provocation.
King cobras reside in trees, on land and in water, and are found in the rain forests, mangrove swamps, forests, and grasslands of southern China and Southeast Asia, according to the BBC. Their coloring varies from region to region.
According to National Geographic, king cobras are a popular species for snake charmers in South Asia, though the cobras cannot actually hear the music (being deaf to ambient noise). They are enticed by the shape and movement of the flute.
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