Statistics indicate that people accustomed with the cobra snake family than with any other snake group or subgroup in the venomous or non-venomous serpent categories. Tropical lands and desert areas make the favorite habitat for the cobra snake, which explains why this snake is widely spread in the arid lands of Asia and Africa. The element to have rendered them so famous is the threatening body posture they get when sensing danger: a cobra snake, which has a regular symmetrical head when in a tolerant mood, will flatten the head and push it towards the back in a menacing way when seeing a possible attack coming. Another peculiarity the cobra snake owes its reputation to is the snake charming tricks performed by Indian serpent breeders.
The spitting cobra snake is one of the most peculiar variety as it not only has a deadly bite but it also sprays venom in the eyes of prey and aggressors alike. The eye contact with the venom toxins can cause not just pain but blindness too, therefore, if you accidentally get cobra snake venom in the eyes, washing with plenty of water could be the only way to stop permanent damage. The King cobra snake also distinguishes itself in this large serpent family by its feeding specificity, since it eats almost only other snakes, with mice and small birds also falling prey to its venom.
The incredible size is one other record the King cobra snake sets: it can get up to seventeen feet long, which makes it the the biggest poisonous snake in the world. A new species was discovered in our times, in 2003 to be more precise, when a specimen was identified at a London Zoo as belonging to an illegal transport of exotic pets. DNA studies revealed that this new species resembles the red spitting cobra snake but shows major differences in the genetic structure. It seems to come from the region between Sudan and Egypt, and it was given the name of Nubian spitting cobra.
Though highly dangerous when it senses a threat, a cobra snake will not attack if you let it be. In comparison with the launch speed of a rattlesnake, the cobra is pretty slow in attack, and many bites fail to touch the prey or do not result in envenomation. A study conducted on Malaysian people bitten by a cobra snake indicates that only 55% of the bites had venom release too. Yet, the same research indicates a mortality rate of 10% for people bitten by a cobra snake, as the toxins eliminated in the blood of the prey are affecting the nerves and inducing respiratory failure half an hour after being bitten.
No comments:
Post a Comment