King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Sauropsida
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Ophiophagus
Species:	O. hannah

the King cobra is vulnerable for various reasons, King Cobras are placed under Schedule II of Wildlife protection Act, 1972 (as amended). The person that kills the King will be imprisoned for up to 6 years.



 Hood extended



Hood retracted


    The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length up to 18.5 to 18.8 ft (5.6 to 5.7 m).  This species, which preys chiefly on other snakes, is found predominantly in forests from India through South-east Asia.  The King cobra is not a member of the genus "Naja" or in other words: true cobras,  It is in its own genus Ophiophagus. When a fully grown King cobra hoods and stands tall in a defensive posture; they can be tall enough to stare straight into a full grown man's eyes. The king cobra is considered to be a very dangerous snake for various reasons and has a fearsome reputation in its range, although they often avoid contact with humans but they can and will stand there ground when necessary.

Diet
Ophiophagus means "snake eater" in greek. and its diet consists primarily of other snakes, including rat snakes, small pythons and even other venomous snakes such as various members of the true cobras (of the genus (Naja), and even the much more venomous krait. When food is scarce, they may also feed on other small vertebrates, such as lizards, birds, and rodents. In some cases, the cobra may "constrict" its prey, such as birds and larger rodents, using its muscular body, though this is uncommon. After a large meal, the snake may live for many months without another one because of its slow metabolic rate. The king cobra's most common meal is the rat snake; pursuit of this species often brings king cobras close to human settlements.


Taxonomy

Ophiophagus hannah belongs to the monotypic genus Ophiophagus. It is classified under the family Elapidae.

The king cobra is the sole member of genus Ophiophagus, while most other cobras are members of the genus Naja. They can be distinguished from other cobras by size and hood. King cobras are generally larger than other cobras, and the stripe on the neck is a chevron instead of a double or single eye shape that may be seen in most of the other Asian cobras. Moreover, the hood of the king cobra is narrower and longer. A foolproof method of identification is if on the head, clearly visible, is the presence of a pair of large scales known as occipitals, at the back of the top of the head. These are behind the usual "nine-plate" arrangement typical of colubrids and elapids, and are unique to the king cobra.

Distribution and habitat

The king cobra is distributed across the Indian Subcontinent, South-east Asia, and the southern areas of East Asia (where it is not common). It lives in dense highland forests, preferring areas dotted with lakes and streams. King cobra populations have dropped in some areas of its range because of the destruction of forests. It is listed as an Appendix II Animal within CITES.

Behavior

A king cobra, like other snakes, receives chemical information via its forked tongue, which picks up scent particles and transfers them to a special sensory receptor (Jacobson's organ) located in the roof of its mouth. This is akin to the human sense of smell. When the scent of a meal is detected, the snake flicks its tongue to gauge the prey's location (the twin forks of the tongue acting in stereo); it also uses its keen eyesight (king cobras are able to detect moving prey almost 100 m away), intelligence, and sensitivity to earth-borne vibration to track its prey.

Following envenomation, the king cobra will begin to swallow its struggling prey while its toxins begin the digestion of its victim. King cobras, like all snakes, have flexible jaws. The jaw bones are connected by pliable ligaments, enabling the lower jaw bones to move independently. This allows the king cobra to swallow its prey whole, as well as letting it swallow prey much larger than its head.

King cobras are able to hunt throughout the day, although it is rarely seen at night, leading most herpetologists to classify it as a diurnal species.

Niche
The King's niche is itself! there is no other competitive snake out there. The only problem for the King is human habitats and deforestation. they primarily prey on snakes but under extreme circumstances they may prey on other vertebrates such as lizards or birds.



King eating a rat snake.








Adult King Cobra.