King cobra (13 photos). Species: Naja naja = Indian cobra, spectacled snake Spectacled cobra
The spectacled snake, or as it is also called, the Indian cobra, comes from the family of asps, a genus of real cobras. This snake lives in the countries of Central and East Asia. It is found both in the wilds of the tropical jungle, and in open spaces. Very often you can encounter a spectacled cobra on the outskirts of cities and on farms. Her favorite places are the ruins of houses, wood or stone heaps, clay walls with holes.
The appearance of a spectacled cobra
The spectacled cobra reaches sizes from 1.5 to 1.9 m. Its coloration largely depends on the environment where the snake lives. Most often, yellow or light gray individuals are found. But sometimes, much less often, you can see a snake that has a black color. The belly of the spectacled cobra is light, almost white. The head has a rounded shape, the eyes are small, with round pupils. She has two poisonous fangs that are located in the upper jaw.
Dark spots were placed on the back of the head, which created a peculiar pattern in the form of glasses. For this, the snake got its name. This image can be seen especially clearly when the cobra senses danger. It lifts the body vertically by 1/3 part, inflates the neck like a hood, turning it into a completely flat one. That's when the "glasses" on the back of the head become well visible.
Lifespan, reproduction of the spectacled cobra
The spectacled cobra lays its eggs from mid-spring to mid-summer. At the same time, she uses places that used to be rodent burrows, hollows of birds or animals, inactive termite mounds, and even heaps of fallen leaves. One clutch of a snake consists of 10-30 eggs. The incubation period lasts two, and sometimes three months. It all depends on the climatic conditions. Newborn cobras hatch at a size of 20-30 cm. They are independent from the first days and at the same time poisonous. Cubs, as well as adult snakes, can frighten passers-by with their hooded necks. The spectacled cobra lives for about 20 years. Offspring begin to give in the third year of life.
How it behaves, what the spectacled cobra eats
The venom of the spectacled cobra is quite strong. It has the ability to paralyze the muscular activity of its victim. If a snake bites a person, the effect of the poison will begin from the first hour. But at the same time, fatal cases are small (6 to 1000). The reason lies in the fact that the spectacled cobra, when attacking, releases poison quite rarely. Usually just bites at the sight of danger. This snake is a predator, it feeds on small rodents, preys on toads and frogs, and does not disdain even other snakes.
Interesting cases from life
Very often, spectacled cobra is used by magicians in their show programs. They keep it in a basket, and for the performance they open the lid and begin to play the pipe. At this time, a snake rises from the basket, sways, repeating the movements of a musical instrument. This creates the effect of a dance. Some believe that magicians remove fangs from cobras to protect themselves, but this is not true. Even if you pull them out, new ones will soon appear in the same place. And if the public finds out about this action, everyone will make fun of the magician and drive him away.
The spectacled snake is distributed throughout India, southern China, Burma, Siam, in the west across Afghanistan, the northeastern parts of Persia and the southern regions of Turkmenistan to the Caspian Sea. In the Himalayas, it is found up to a height of 2,500 m.
A spectacled snake chooses a place that she likes and, if nothing forces her to leave, lives there throughout her life. Her favorite dwellings are abandoned mounds of termites, ruins, heaps of stones and wood, holes in clay walls.
Indian cobra 1.4-1.81 m long, fiery yellow, in certain light with an ash-blue sheen. On the back of the head, a pattern resembling glasses is clearly distinguished - a clear light pattern on the back of the neck, which becomes clearly visible when the snake is defending itself. The value of the bright pattern on the dorsal side of the snake is very great - it keeps the predator from attacking, even if he managed to run to the snake from the rear.
The ventral side is gray and often has wide black stripes on the front of the body. The rounded and slightly blunt head smoothly merges into the body. The head is covered with large shields, the upper jaw is armed with paired poisonous fangs, followed by 1-3 more small teeth.
In India, the spectacle snake is an object of reverent reverence and even almost superstitious fear. She is worshiped and cajoled in every way. She even became one of the heroines in religious legends: “When the Buddha once wandered the earth and fell asleep under the rays of the midday sun, a cobra appeared, expanded its shield and blocked the face of God from the sun.
Satisfied with this, the god promised her extraordinary mercy, but forgot about his promise, and the snake was forced to remind him of this, since the vultures made terrible devastation among them at that time. In protection from these birds of prey, the Buddha gave goggles to the cobra, which kites are still afraid of.
If a resident of Malabar finds a poisonous snake in his house, he asks it to leave in the most friendly way. If this does not help at all, then he holds food in front of her to lure her out. And if she doesn’t leave even then, then he calls on the servants of the deity, who, of course, for an appropriate reward, make touching exhortations to the snake, speak to the snake.
Such reverence is not accidental. Not even because the Hindus consider the snake to be a deity. The Indian cobra is very dangerous, and in no case should it be angered, then the snake becomes very aggressive and uncontrollable. Only brought to the extreme, she rushes at the attacker.
The snake hunts only in the late afternoon hours and often continues to crawl late at night. Therefore, it can rightly be called a nocturnal reptile. Cobra food consists exclusively of small animals, mainly reptiles and amphibians: lizards, frogs and toads. She hunts mice, rats, insects. Often robs bird nests.
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The spectacled snake has quite a few enemies, among which the first place belongs to the mongoose. This small predator fearlessly attacks snakes of any size.
But for a person, an Indian snake is extremely dangerous. Even with a broken tooth, a snake can inflict injury, moreover, in place of broken teeth, no less poisonous substitute teeth soon grow.
Cobra venom of neurotoxic action. A minute later, complete paralysis sets in. The venom of the spectacled cobra is so toxic that a chicken dies from its bite after 4 minutes, and a laboratory mouse after 2 minutes.
But a cobra never bites a person without special need, and even if it makes a throw towards the enemy, it often does not open its mouth (fake throw). Never anger a cobra. Even if she is nearby, you should not beat the snake with a stick or throw any objects at it. This will only anger the reptile, and it will attack in self-defense.
Cobras are large snakes known for their venom and their peculiar way of puffing out their hoods. This name means, first of all, representatives of the genus of real cobras, as well as the king and collar cobras related to them. In total, about 16 species of these snakes are known, all of them belong to the aspid family and are related to other, no less poisonous species - deadly and cruel snakes, kraits and asps.
Central Asian cobras (Naja oxiana) stand out among other species with a light clay color.
All types of cobras are quite large in size, one of the smallest - the Angolan cobra - reaches a length of 1.5 m, and the largest king cobra, or hamadryad, reaches a length of 4.8 and even 5.5 m. This cobra is the largest among all poisonous snakes in the world. Despite its large size, its body does not look massive (like pythons or boas, for example), in general, these reptiles are characterized by high mobility. In a calm state, cobras do not stand out among other snakes, but in a state of irritation, they raise the front of the body and swell the neck. A more or less pronounced hood is a distinctive feature of these reptiles, such a structural feature is no longer found in any other snakes. The coloration of cobras is mostly inconspicuous, it is dominated by yellowish-brown and black-brown tones, but some species may have bright colors. For example, red spitting - brown-red, South African shield - coral. Cobras are also characterized by the presence of transverse stripes, especially pronounced on the neck. The famous Indian cobra or spectacled snake got its name from the two spots that are visible on its swollen hood, these snakes have individuals with one spot, such cobras are called monocles.
The Indian cobra or spectacled snake (Naja naja) got its name from the characteristic spots on the hood.
Cobras live exclusively in the Old World - in Africa (across the continent), Central and South Asia (in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka). These animals are thermophilic and do not occur where snow falls in winter, with the exception of the Central Asian cobra, whose range in the north reaches Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The habitats of these snakes are diverse, however, arid places are more to their taste. A typical landscape for a cobra is bushes, deserts and semi-deserts, a number of species are found in the jungle, along river banks, but these snakes avoid very wet places. In the mountains, cobras are found up to a height of 1500-2400 m. Like all reptiles, cobras live alone, but Indian and king cobras are the rarest exception to this rule. These snakes are the only reptiles that form stable pairs during the mating season. Cobras are more active during the day and are generally very resistant to overheating. These snakes are mobile, crawl well on the ground, trees, and can swim. In most people's minds, cobras are aggressive, but in fact, these snakes are quite calm and even a little phlegmatic. Knowing their behavior, they are easy to control, which is often demonstrated by "charmers" of snakes.
The South African shield cobra (Aspidelaps lubricus) is one of the few brightly colored species of these snakes.
Cobras feed on small rodents, birds (passerines and ground-nesting, such as nightjars), lizards, frogs, toads, smaller snakes, and eggs. The king cobra feeds exclusively on reptiles, and eats lizards extremely rarely, and more often hunts other snakes. Its victims are usually the most poisonous species and the closest relatives of cobras - kraits and asps. Cobras kill their prey with a bite, injecting the strongest poison into its body. Interestingly, cobras often dig their teeth into the victim and do not immediately release it, as if chewing, this ensures the most effective introduction of the toxin. The poison of all types of cobras is deadly to humans, but its strength varies from species to species. The poison of the Central Asian cobra is “not too” strong, death from its bite occurs after a few hours or even days, but the poison of the king cobra can kill a person in half an hour, moreover, there are cases when even elephants died from its bite!
King Cobra, or Hamadryad (Ophiophagus hannah).
Among the cobras there are a number of specialized species that practice a special way of hunting. They do not bite their prey, but ... shoot it with poison. The Indian spitting cobra is considered the most accurate shooter, and the black-necked and collared cobras from Africa also possess this skill. In these species, the opening of the poisonous channel is located not at the bottom of the tooth, but on its front surface, with special muscles the cobra compresses the poisonous glands and the deadly liquid flies out under pressure as if from a syringe. At one time, the cobra is able to fire several shots (up to a maximum of 28). The snake can shoot at a distance of up to 2 m, and from such a distance it hits a target with a diameter of a couple of centimeters. Such accuracy is not accidental, because to kill the victim, a simple hit in her body is not enough. The poison cannot penetrate the covers of the prey and kill it, but it can have a strong irritating effect on the mucous membrane. Therefore, spitting cobras always aim at the eyes, the jet of poison irritates the organs of vision and the victim loses orientation, but even if she is lucky to escape, she is doomed. The poison causes irreversible changes in the proteins of the cornea and the victim goes blind. If the poison gets into the eyes of a person, it can only be saved by immediately washing the eyes with plenty of water.
The cobra displays a hunting spit that can also be used for defense.
Cobras breed once a year. The breeding season occurs more often in January-February (for example, in the Indian cobra) or spring (in the Central Asian), females of these species lay their eggs in April-May or June-July, respectively. The fecundity of cobras is highly dependent on the species and can range from 8 to 70 eggs. The only species that gives birth to live cubs is the collared cobra, which can give birth to up to 60 cubs. Cobras lay their eggs in crevices between rocks, piles of fallen leaves, and similar hiding places. Females usually guard the clutch. The behavior of the royal and Indian cobras is especially interesting. Their females not only protect the eggs, but also build a nest for them. This seems surprising when you consider that snakes are completely devoid of limbs. To do this, the cobra rakes the leaves with the front part of the body into a pile, laying eggs, it remains to guard them. Moreover, the most active part in the protection of the nest is also taken by males, who do not leave their chosen ones until the offspring hatch. During this period, Indian and king cobras can be very aggressive, actively driving animals and people away from their nest. This was the reason to accuse these snakes of unpredictable attacks on humans, in fact, such behavior is observed only during the breeding season. The hatched serpents are completely independent and already have poison, however, due to its small amount, they initially hunt the smallest prey and even insects. Young cobras are usually striped, and the black and white cobra even got its name from the coloration of the young. The life expectancy of cobras in nature has not been precisely established; in captivity, one black and white cobra lived for 29 years, which is a very high figure for snakes.
Red spitting cobra (Naja pallida).
Despite the strong poison, cobras also have enemies. Young animals can be attacked by larger snakes, monitor lizards, and adults are preyed upon by mongooses and meerkats. Although these animals do not have innate immunity to cobra venom, they are so clever at distracting the snake's attention with false attacks that they manage to seize the moment and deliver a deadly bite to the back of the head. A cobra caught in the path of a mongoose or a meerkat has no chance of survival. Cobras have a number of adaptations for protection. Firstly, this is the famous stand, which performs a signaling role. Although a cobra that puffs out its hood is extremely dangerous in a person’s mind, in fact, this behavior allows you to avoid an unexpected encounter with a snake and bypass it. Cobra, in turn, achieves just such a reaction. Secondly, if a cobra is caught or annoyed, it does not immediately go on the attack. Often in such cases, the reptile connects additional deterrents - a loud hiss ( listen ) and false attacks, during which the snake does not use poisonous teeth. And only if this does not help, she can bite. The collared cobra is considered one of the greatest "actresses" of the snake world. In case of danger (if spitting poison did not help), she turns her belly up and, opening her mouth, deftly pretends to be dead.
Cobra met a family of meerkats on its way.
Due to the fact that cobras live in densely populated countries, they have long been side by side with humans. In some cases, these snakes are actively looking for human neighborhoods, so the Indian, royal, Egyptian cobras like to settle in abandoned and residential premises (basements, ruins, etc.). On the one hand, people experienced fear in front of these snakes, on the other hand, reverent awe and respect. It is interesting that a respectful attitude towards cobras was formed exactly where the largest and most poisonous species live - in India, Egypt. The fact is that the inhabitants of these countries, involuntarily sharing a common territory with cobras, have studied their customs well and know that these snakes are predictable, calm, and therefore not dangerous. For a long time there was a peculiar profession of a snake charmer. It was mastered by subtle observers who knew how to handle snakes in such a way that their defensive reaction never turned into aggression. Cobras were carried in baskets or jugs, opening which, the caster began to play the pipe and the snake seemed to come out to the call and dance to the music. In fact, cobras, like all snakes, are deaf, but they react to the measured swaying of the pipe and track this “enemy” with their eyes, from the outside it looks like a dance. With skillful handling, the spellcasters could dull the attention of the snake so much that they allowed themselves to kiss the snake, less skilled craftsmen preferred not to risk it and removed the poisonous teeth of the cobras. However, contrary to most people's beliefs, tooth extractions were not common. Firstly, a cobra, devoid of poison, is unable not only to catch, but also to digest its prey, which means it is doomed to a slow starvation. Changing snakes every couple of months is a hassle for the poor street bums. Secondly, the audience could demand from the owner that he demonstrate the poisonous teeth of a cobra, and then the scammer would face shameful exile and lack of money. Only Indian and Egyptian cobras have learned to tame.
Snake charmer and Indian cobra.
In addition, in India, cobras often settled in temples, unlike living quarters, no one expelled them from here. Cobras not only personified wisdom and were the object of worship, but also performed the unspoken function of guards. Night thieves, coveting treasures, had every chance in the dark to be bitten by a snake. History also knows more sophisticated ways to "use" cobras. They were often thrown into the dwellings of objectionable people, whom they wanted to deal with without publicity and trial. It is authentically known that with the help of a cobra, the legendary Egyptian queen Cleopatra took her own life. In our time, cobras are still a danger to humans. True, this danger is caused not so much by the snakes themselves, but by the overpopulation of some regions - there are almost no places left in nature where cobras could hide from humans. Such a neighborhood often turns into "conflicts", every year up to a thousand people die from cobra bites in India (to a lesser extent in Africa). On the other hand, against the poison of cobras, there is an antidote, which is made in serpentaria. Cobra venom is also a valuable raw material for the production of a number of medicines. For this, snakes are caught and “milked”, one individual can give out several portions of poison, but its life in captivity is short, so these reptiles need to be protected. So, the Central Asian cobra is listed in the International Red Book. Very accurately, the habits of cobras and their relationship with mongooses were described by Rudyard Kipling in the story "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi".
The Latin name of the king cobra - Ophiophagus hannah - is translated as "eating snakes", but it does not apply to true cobras - representatives of the Naja genus, therefore this snake was isolated as an independent species.
The size and appearance of the king cobra really inspire respect and fear. Still, because the average length of her body is 3-4 meters, but there are individuals with a length of 5-5.5 meters!
It is not difficult to recognize this snake. A distinctive feature of the king cobra is a narrow hood at the back of the head and neck, decorated with 6 large dark shields in the form of a semicircle. The main color of the snake is brown or greenish brown. It alternates with dark rings encircling the entire body.
The queen of all snakes has an extensive range that stretches from India to the Philippines (South India, Pakistan, South China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Greater Sunda Islands and the Philippines).
For no particular reason, the "queen" does not like to be seen. She prefers to stick to dark caves or holes, of which there are a great many in the jungle.
They are also excellent tree climbers and good swimmers, but still prefer to spend most of their time on the ground. During the capture of prey or the pursuit of the enemy, the snake can move quickly. Therefore, the chances of escaping from the snake by flight are not so great. You will learn about the reasons for such aggressiveness a little below. Recently, there has been a trend of relocation of king cobras closer to human habitation, and there is an explanation for this.
Firstly, such a neighborhood often occurs during the rainy season and, secondly, the extensive spread of agricultural production in Asian countries leads to deforestation, which is the natural habitat of these snakes. In addition to this, cobras are often seen in crop areas where many rodents live, and where there are rodents, there are also small snakes - the main food of the king cobra.
Her favorite dish is rat snakes. But at any other opportunity, she is not averse to hunting other species, including poisonous ones. In cases of their deficiency, the "queen" can switch to large lizards, but this does not happen so often.
A powerful venom that has a neurotoxic effect helps the snake to quickly cope with its prey. It causes paralysis of the respiratory muscles, which leads to respiratory arrest and, as a result, to death. The amount of poison injected into the victim when bitten is about 6-7 ml. Such a dose can be fatal even for an elephant, what can we say about a person.
Despite the highly toxic venom and aggressiveness, human deaths from king cobra bites are rare. This is due to the fact that the snake will not waste its "weapon" in vain. First of all, it is necessary for hunting, and in order to scare a person, K. cobra often inflicts “blank bites”. They occur without injection of venom or very little of it to be fatal. If a person received a full bite, then he has no more than half an hour to live. Only the timely administration of an antidote, antivenin, can save him.
Interestingly, the king cobras themselves have developed immunity to their poison, therefore, during the “fights” for the female during the mating season, not one of the gentlemen dies from the bites of an opponent.
January is the beginning of the mating season, when the male goes in search of a female. If there are several applicants, then ritual battles take place. The winner gets the main prize - a female. Then a short acquaintance takes place, during which the male is convinced that the female does not pose a danger to him, and the final stage of mating games begins - mating.
The king cobra is one of the few snakes that builds a nest for their eggs. It is a large pile of rotting foliage, located on a small hill (so that it does not flood heavily during tropical downpours). There, the female lays from 20 to 40 eggs, and then constantly maintains a certain temperature in it (from 25 to 29 ° C).
King cobra or hamadryad (lat. Ophiophagus hannah) (English King Cobra)
After laying eggs, the female becomes very aggressive. She guards them around the clock and is ready to throw herself at anyone who passes by her "treasury". Whether it's a small harmless animal or an elephant. As a result, aggressive behavior and attacks for no apparent reason are often attributed to her, although all her aggressiveness is most often associated with the close location of the nest. In addition, during this period, the toxicity of her poison increases, which leads to even more deaths from her bites.
The incubation period lasts about 3 months, after which small, but already highly poisonous cubs hatch into the world. Before that, the female goes in search of food, so as not to eat her babies from hunger. As a result, only 2-4 out of 20-40 kites reach adulthood.
In India, K. cobra is considered a sacred animal, and its killing is punishable not only by religion, but also by laws. Since 1972, a law has been in force prohibiting the killing of cobras unless absolutely necessary. Punishment - imprisonment for up to 3 years.
Images of K. cobra can often be seen in temples. Hindus believe that she understands mantras - sacred spells. According to their belief, this snake has purity and holiness and brings wealth to the house.
Once a year, a holiday dedicated to the king cobra - Nag-panchami - is celebrated. On this day, Hindus bring snakes from the forest and release them in temples or right on the streets. Daredevils put them on their hands, neck, wrap around their heads. And all these tricks with animals go unpunished. According to Indian beliefs, snakes do not bite anyone on this day. After the holiday is over, all the cobras are taken back to the forest.
King cobras live for about 30 years and are constantly growing throughout this period.
The spectacled snake (spectacled cobra) is one of the most venomous snakes on our planet.
Snakes… they are so different. Some are completely harmless, while others are deadly poisonous. But we are wary of even the most harmless snake, because these animals do not really inspire confidence with all their appearance. In the snake kingdom there are such special representatives, whose appearance cannot be confused with anyone - these are cobras. The spectacled snake, or Indian cobra, is a prime example of such animals. Spectacled cobra belongs to the reptiles of the order of scaly snakes. She is a member of the aspid family, which includes the genus of real cobras.
What are the distinguishing features of the appearance of the Indian cobra?
The body of this reptile grows to a length of about 180 centimeters. The head is rounded and covered with large shields. On the head are two small eyes with round pupils.
The cobra's teeth are small, but among them there are two of the most prominent fangs, which are equipped with poisonous glands. The entire body of the animal is covered with very smooth scales, which have a variety of colors: from yellowish-gray to black. The main distinguishing feature of the Indian cobra is the "glasses" painted on its upper body. This is a pattern that not only distinguishes the spectacled cobra from other snakes, but also performs a protective function, warning the predator of a possible retaliatory strike.
The habitat of the population of spectacled snakes
These reptile squads of scaly snakes live throughout India, and are also found in Pakistan and on the island of Sri Lanka, located off the southeastern coast of the Hindustan Peninsula in the Indian Ocean.
Behavioral features of the spectacled snake and its lifestyle in the wild
This type of cobra is very poisonous and dangerous. Its poison is fatal to animals and harmful to the human nervous system - it has a paralyzing effect.
The spectacled snake inhabits fields, forests, and is found near human dwellings in cities and villages. He likes to settle in the ruins, termite mounds, climb under the roots of trees, in ravines and heaps of brushwood. It can also live in mountainous areas, reaching a height of 2700 meters above sea level.
When the Indian cobra senses danger, it expands its front ribs, while enlarging the upper body, forming a "hood". At this time, "glasses" appear on the dorsal part. This is the moment when the cobra is ready to jump and attack the enemy.
Indian cobra food
Its daily diet includes small mammals, mainly rodents (mice, rats) and reptiles.
How does the Indian cobra reproduce?
The mating season and mating season for these representatives of the asp family falls on January - February. After 2 months, in May, female spectacled snakes lay 10 to 20 eggs. Very rarely, the number of eggs in a clutch exceeds the average value. The largest number observed by researchers is 45 pieces.
Until the very appearance of small cobras, the “father” and “mother” keep in pairs, carefully and carefully protecting the clutch from predators. From the moment of laying eggs to the birth of Indian cobra cubs, about 70 - 80 days pass.
Natural enemies of a poisonous snake - do they exist?
In fact, even such a malicious and dangerous predator as a spectacled cobra has its enemies. The main hunter for the Indian snake is. After all, everyone knows the story of the brave Riki-Tiki-Tavi? This is not the author's fiction, in nature everything is arranged exactly like this: a small mammalian predator deftly pounces on a spectacled snake, digging into its neck, and strikes it with lightning speed.
Spectacled cobra and man - what connects them?
In Indian culture, magical properties are attributed to these reptiles; spectacled snakes are given the most honorable places in ancient tales and legends of India.
In the modern world, these snakes are used to entertain the public and tourists. Special masters who know every habit of a spectacled snake and know how to handle it are called spellcasters. So, these spellcasters with the help of musical instruments make the snake “dance”. Of course, from a scientific point of view, this is not a dance at all, but simply the willingness of a snake to attack. But this is the whole "magic" of the caster. At the very moment when the snake opens its "hood", the trainer quickly closes it in a cage. Such entertainment with dancing snakes can be seen almost all over the world, and especially in India.