The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is a poisonous elapid snake found in the rainforests of Southern and Southeast Asia.
King Cobras are widespread in Southeast Asia and India, but not in the United States. They are usually 9-12 feet long, although some can grow much longer. The King Cobra is the world's longest poisonous snake. They derive their fearsome moniker from the fact that they consume other snakes, even 10-foot pythons.
Poisonous snakes may penetrate their target with their teeth and release venom that paralyzes the animal, allowing them to consume it whole.
Unlike Other Snakes
There is no "King Cobras" on the list about cobra species. They are relatives of the Naja snakes, although they belong to the Ophiophagus group. Their name translates to "snake eaters," as they prey on other cobras.
When threatened, king cobras have the same morphological characteristics as other cobras, such as becoming longer snakes with a fanned hood over their heads. They may also elevate the front part of their slithery bodies above the ground to appear larger and more dangerous.
Largest King Cobra
The world's biggest King Cobra, which reached 5.7 meters (18.8 feet) in length, was discovered during World War II. According to Guinness World Records, this snake was captured in Malaysia in April 1937. Its massive size drew a lot of attention, so it was relocated to the London Zoo so that more people might see it.
Unfortunately, this snake lived during WWII. Many zoos were forced to make the terrible decision to kill some of their creatures to safeguard the public from escaping animals following the bombings.
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Not the Longest
King cobras are not the world's longest snakes; pythons may grow to be considerably longer. Pythons are not poisonous but wrap around their prey and crush it until they can no longer breathe and die, similar to boa constrictors. Indian Pythons may reach a length of 20 feet. They are also considerably larger than cobras, weighing up to 150 pounds. Burmese pythons may grow up to 23 feet in length, and you might see one in Florida. Although they are not native to the United States, enough have escaped or been released as pets to establish a sizable breeding population in many Everglades counties.
The reticulated python, which may grow 29 feet long and weigh 500 pounds, is the largest snake. These snakes may be found in India, Borneo, Indonesia, and the Philippines, among other places. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest snake ever recorded was a 32-foot-long reticulated python from Indonesia in 1912. That's nearly 10 yards on a football field, so that's a long snake.
Venom
Although King Cobras are the world's longest venomous snakes, they are not very large. They are little snakes that weigh only 15-20 pounds. Compared to some non-venomous snakes, they don't appear to be as dangerous.
While Reticulated Pythons can reach 500 pounds, Green Anacondas are larger at 550 pounds. These massive snakes are large enough to consume a crocodile, and they do. Capybara, pigs, and even deer are among the major animals they consume. Consider the size of a deer you may have seen in a park or roaming through your garden. Green anacondas would love to devour them.
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