Showing posts with label Cobra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cobra. Show all posts

Saturday, 29 December 2012

Do You Really Know About Terrible Cobra

Cobra is the adjectives name for member of the family of poisonous snakes, Elapidae, particular for their intimidating looks and deadly bite. Cobras can be accredited by the hood they flare when disturbed or angry. The hood is created by the extension of movable ribs from the third to the thirteenth vertebrae behind the cobra's come first. The Spectacled cobra, Naja Naja, has a clearly, delineate black and white image on its nouns resembling eyeglasses or spectacles. Incidentally, Naja is derived from the Sanskrit word: Nage meaning snake. A full-grown cobra measures between 1.9 to 2.4 meters. The colouring vary, ranging from olive-grey, depressing or light brown to completely black. The latter one may enjoy lighter markings along the body. The throat is usually yellowish-white. Cobras are equipped with a "Jacobson's Organ" which is an extrasensory organ surrounded by the roof of the snake's mouth that sharpens it sense of smell. It consists of two hollow, highly sensitive saclike structures. The snake's acute odour perception allows it to track prey as okay as potential mates.

This cobra can be found within different habitats: grasslands, areas next to scattered trees, contained by the vegetation along watercourse, rice paddies, near poultry barns and also contained by dry wasteland where on earth they live in cavern or crevices.


The cobra's prey includes rats, mice, birds, lizards, frogs, toads, fish and bird eggs. They also raid poultry barns consuming eggs and chicks. An unusual feed trait is that they have long spines contained by their throat that pierce the egg allowing the contents to be swallowed but preventing the shell from passing through the throat.

They spit the shell out. They are not cannibalistic within the true sense of the word but when two cobras seize equal prey, the larger one will swallow the other along with the prey. Typically, snakes swallow their prey live; however, venomous snakes hang around for the toxin to kill the animal until that time swallowing it. The cobra is crepuscular.

Cobras live in pairs during the mate season, which occurs at different times of the year depending on the specific habitat. Copulation can finishing five hours or even, several days (with interruptions). Usually, twelve to twenty eggs are laid after two or three months, often surrounded by a hollow tree stump or termite hill. The womanly stays in the neighbourhood to defend her clutch of eggs but does not incubate them. The infantile hatch between fifty to sixty days. It takes them between three to six hours to hatch. An egg tooth help them to penetrate the eggshell. They are twenty to thirty cm long and weigh fifteen grams. The adjectives position and outspread hood of a threatening cobra is an innate behavioural pattern; even near their tail still inside the egg, the tiny cobra stands up and spreads the neck skin! Their first moult happen two to eleven days after hatching, up to that time the snake starts feeding. Even the bright hatchlings have potent toxin; a five week's old cobra can take out a mouse in a few minutes!

The fang of a cobra are in front of the mouth. These fang are firm but relatively short having a closed groove but near a deep indentation. As a rule, cobras produce neurotoxin, a audacity venom to be precise incredibly potent affecting the nervous system cause paralysis of the respiratory muscles. One gram is sufficient to kill any 140 dogs or 165,000 mice or 65 humans! However, their venom is human being used as an ingredient in painkillers such as "Cobroxin" and "Nyloxin" and even to combat positive cancers. Cobras can attack most effectively from above, since they can single strike in a forward, downward direction. The banded or zebra mongoose, their inherent enemy, jump around the cobra and also attacks from above, biting its head. Other enemy are the serpent eagle, large fishing owls, rats and even frantic pigs. The most important rival is man.

At present, there is no protective legislation within place. Cobra skins are one of the most highly prized exotic leathers, cobra meat is a prettiness in Hong Kong and folk medication in Asia make questionable use of the gall bladder and other organs for treating multiple ailments.

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

Cobra Bites Are Fatal In About 10% Of Human Cases


This guy literally has one of the world's most dangerous jobs, he has to clean the cobra pit at the zoo. In this video he fearlessly picks up the snakes from their napping spots and tosses them to the side like their rubber toys and sweeps up their dried egg shells and poop.

The Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is one of Africa's most dangerous snakes and feared in East, Central and Southern Africa. It's aggressive when cornered and will not hesitate to strike. It can reach speeds of up to 12 mph (20 km/ph). It's the largest venomous snake in Africa with adults reaching an average of 8 feet in length (2.5m). Black Mamba's are not black at all, but brown/olive skinned. Their mouths are inky black which they show when threatened. Black Mambas live in savanna, scrub, tree hollows, and sometimes people's homes. If a Black Mamba encounters prey it can strike up to 12 times, each time delivering enough neuro and cardio-toxic venom to kill a dozen men within 1 hour. Without anti-venom, the mortality rate is 100%.

Cobra bites are fatal in about 10% of human cases. it's because of their VENOM that acts as a defense mechanism and also a way by having their pray or food be caught.

Any of several highly venomous Elapids snakes that expand their neck ribs to form a hood. They are found in warm regions of Africa, Australia, and Asia. Cobras feed primarily on small vertebrates. The Indian cobra (Naja naja) kills several thousand people annually, mostly because it enters houses to catch rats. The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world's largest venomous snake, often more than 12 ft (3.5 m) long. Some African cobras can spit their venom more than 6 ft (1.8 m). Cobras are favourites of snake charmers, who, by their movements rather than their music, tease the deaf snakes into assuming the upreared defense posture.

Any of several highly venomous Elapids snakes that expand their neck ribs to form a hood. They are found in warm regions of Africa, Australia, and Asia. Cobras feed primarily on small vertebrates. The Indian cobra (Naja naja) kills several thousand people annually, mostly because it enters houses to catch rats. The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world's largest venomous snake, often more than 12 ft (3.5 m) long. Some African cobras can spit their venom more than 6 ft (1.8 m). Cobras are favourites of snake charmers, who, by their movements rather than their music, tease the deaf snakes into assuming the upreared defense posture.

The Cape Cobra (Naja nivea) has a powerful venom and is one of the deadliest snakes in Southern Africa. Cape Cobras grow to an average of around 4 feet. Cape Cobras are particularly dangerous because they tend to be nervous and aggressive. Without treatment, the mortality rate in humans is 60% and death normally occurs 2-5 hours after being bitten, usually as a result of respiratory failure due to the onset of paralysis. The Cape Cobra is a beautiful looking snake some are yellow, some copper/mahogany colored and some are purplish/black. The Cape Cobra loves to hunt for rodents and can climb trees to raid weaver bird colonies. The Cape Cobra is common throughout dry regions in Southern Africa.