King Cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world with specimens recorded attaining a length of 17 feet or more. Its venom is not as potent as the venom of some of the smaller venomous snakes like cobras and kraits, but the sheer quantity that it can inject in a single bite is enough to kill a full grown elephant in a few hours and a healthy human being in about 30 minutes. However, King Cobra is a very docile snake and is rarely known to bite humans. It feeds primarily on other species of snakes and monitor lizards. King Cobra is also the only snake in the world that makes its own nest. It collects leaf litter on the forest floor in the form of a mound and lays its eggs in it. The heat generated by the decomposing vegetation helps with the incubation process. The mother remains in the vicinity of the nesting site to protect its eggs but leaves just before the hatching starts. Being a snake-eater, it doesn’t want to accidentally eat its own offspring.
Snakes are threatened by humans who kill them due to the fear of being bitten by them. Another big threat to snakes is the loss of habitat and fragmentation of their habitat by human intrusion and construction of roads through their jungles. Snakes have an important role to play in the food chain pyramid as they control the population of their prey species animals.
Corbett is home to a healthy population of King Cobra, though being a secretive creature, it is not commonly encountered. This beautiful King Cobra was recorded crossing a forest road by the members of Jim’s Jungle Retreat naturalist team.
King Cobra – The largest venomous Snake in the world!
