King Cobra Hatching

Cool video of a King Cobra hatching from it's egg. I'm not much into snakes, although I did have a 6 foot King snake when I was younger man many years ago. That being said, this is the first time I ever witnessed any snake hatching from it's shell, and it is pretty awesome to say the least.

King Cobras are one of the most feared snakes in the world. These huge, cannibalistic snakes dwell in the rainforests of Asia. Their venom is highly dangerous, and most bites are fatal if untreated. They are also the largest venomous snakes, with the longest ever specimen reaching 19 feet. Their venom is neurotoxic, meaning that it kills brain cells, and can cause paralysis. King cobras feed on snakes and lizards – their scientific name (Ophiophagus) means serpent-eater. When threatened, a king cobra will growl, rear up, and extend its fearsome hood. Interestingly, cobras are usually shy and non-aggressive. Bites are rare, and the majority occur when the snake is provoked.

The longest venomous snake species is the King Cobra. The adults can grow up to 18 feet in length and live up to 25 years. A King Cobra is extremely agile, and found predominantly in forests of India throughout Southeast Asia to the Philippines. The King Cobra eats other snakes and will even attack larger snakes like pythons. The easiest way to identify them is through their occipitals or a large pair of scales at the back of the top of the head.

Rsearch on Cobras is extensive especially the medicinal properties of their venom which is highly neurotoxic. King cobras make nests which are laid in the mound of leaves and guard a nest of 20 to 40 eggs, but not all cobras lay eggs. The baby cobra is banded and is more vibrantly coloured than adults. As they grow up the bands gradually vanish. The adult king cobras have brown or olive colours.

Here are some interesting facts about Cobras

• Many myths and legends are there revolving around the cobra.
• The cobra symbolizes a wide range of things throughout the world imagination, like wisdom, hypnosis, royalty, death, sexual urges, danger, fear, strength, etc.
• Cobras are revered and often worshipped in India.
• Cobras in ancient Egypt were seen as protectors of the Pharaoh. Queen Cleopatra allegedly committed suicide of a cobra bite.
• While facing the enemy, the King cobra acts like a tough guy by expanding their ribs and growling!
• The King Cobras shed 4 to 6 times a year. One unique feature of the king cobras is that unlike any other snakes they build nests for protection of their eggs.
• Wild boars and mongoose steal cobra eggs.
• Mongoose is immune to Cobra venom!
• Many true cobras are crepuscular but King Cobras are diurnal.
• The spitting cobras accurately spit on their preys’ eyes. They can spit venom up to 1.8 meters.
• Snake charmers often charm the king cobra. They are mesmerized by the shape and movement of the flute and not by the sound.
• Rudyard Kipling, the Nobel Prize winning author and creator of Mowgli featured a pair of Indian Cobras in his famous short story Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.
• Cobras may be majestic but do not make good pets.