Some king cobra stuff for aficionados starting with a video of an impressive king cobra doing his defensive threat display in a video standing around 6 feet tall.
The king cobra is one of the most venomous snakes on the planet. As you can see in the video they can stand up and look a man in the eye. This is a threat display which occurs when they are alarmed or frightened. They are called king cobras because they can kill and eat cobras
There are native in northern India, east to southern China, Hong Kong and Hainan. There are also native to the Malay Peninsula and western Indonesia and the Philippines.
They have eyesight which is superior to most snakes and good enough to see a moving person about a hundred metres away.
It seems that in the video the snake has indeed seen something which has caused it concern and therefore it has raised itself up to about 6 feet to see better.
Snakes do not have an external ear and neither do they have a middle ear according to my research. It is said that king cobras feel the vibrations on the ground rather than hearing ambient noises.
The advice is to stand back about 10 feet away from a cobra which has raised itself up like this and spitting because the fluid can burn the eyes and even cause blindness. The spit contains a toxic secretion from their fangs. It is a venom which can be injected and a toxungen (a secretion of one or more biological toxins) which can be sprayed onto the target.
The spat toxungen can cause blindness if it it’s the cornea of the eye. Although it is generally harmless in contact with a person’s skin.
Cobra venom is toxic because it contains a complex mixture of enzymes, proteins, and other molecules that are specifically designed to attack the prey’s nervous system and other vital organs. The venom of a cobra is primarily made up of neurotoxins, which are toxins that target the nervous system.
When a cobra bites its prey, the venom enters the bloodstream and begins to attack the nervous system. The neurotoxins in the venom block the transmission of nerve impulses and cause paralysis, leading to respiratory failure and eventually death.
Cobra venom also contains other toxins, such as cardiotoxins, which can cause damage to the heart muscle, and cytotoxins, which can damage cells and tissues. These toxins work in combination to immobilize and kill the prey.
It’s worth noting that while cobra venom is deadly to its prey, it can also be harmful to humans if they are bitten. The venom can cause paralysis, respiratory failure, and even death if not treated promptly with antivenom. Therefore, it is important to avoid contact with cobras and other venomous snakes and seek medical attention immediately if bitten.
