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.