Facts about Cobra
A cobra rises from its basket and sways in time with the music, apparently hypnotized.
The black cobra, found in Pakistan and North India, is commonly considered to be a sub-species.
Cobras typically will only attack a human if provoked or in other extreme circumstances that threaten its survival.
The king cobra is ophiophagous; It feeds almost entirely on other snakes, even venomous ones, although it sometimes preys on small rodents and birds.
The term cobra is especially associated with the genus Naja, the "true cobras."
The most common cobra is the Indian cobra or spectacled cobra Naja naja, native to the Indian subcontinent and associated with snake charming there.
The venom of the King Cobra is primarily neurotoxic and the snake is fully capable of killing a human with a single bite (Capula et al.
The second most common cobra species is the Monocled cobra, Naja kaouthia, widespread in Asia.
The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) of Asia is the world's longest venomous snake, growing to a length of 18.5 feet (5.7 meters) (Mehrtens 1987).
The hood is the name in anatomy for the flap of skin behind the head of cobras, which can be used to make the snake appear bigger.
Cobras also add to the wonder of nature for people, and some cobras, such as king cobras, are popular attractions in zoos.
The ringkals (also known as ringhals or "spitting cobras") are unique among African cobras in being ovoviviparous (Hunter 2000).
Ecologically, cobras are important to food chains, helping to maintain the balance of prey species and controlling agricultural pests such as rats and mice.
What prompts it to perform is the snake charmer's clever manipulation of the cobra's natural tendencies.
The ringkals are one of a group of cobras that has developed the ability to spit venom as a defense mechanism.
Ecologically, cobras are important to food chains, helping to maintain the balance of prey species and controlling agricultural pests such as rats and mice.