The king cobra is the longest poisonous snake in the world. The king cobra is approximately18 ft. long. It is a thin snake, whoÕs colors are olive or brown and has bronze eyes. The king cobra is special among snakes because it makes a nest for its eggs, putting them in leaves and other debris it has found, and remains in the nest until the young hatch. It is found in the Philippines, Malaysia, southern China, Burma, and the Malay Peninsula.
Cobras will barely ever attack without a reason. When the cobra is threatened, however, it will use its deadly strength. Cobras are known by their use from Oriental snake charmers because they respond well to visual cues, and are great to watch.
Two enemies of the King Cobra are the Wild boar and mongoose. They steal and eat King Cobra eggs before they hatch. The ones that do hatch still are attacked by army ants, giant centipedes, civet cats, and more mongooses.
The cobra's most dangerous enemy is the human. When humans destroy forests because they need more farmland, humans ruin the homes of the snakes. So the king cobra's natural habitat is becoming smaller and smaller. Cobra skins are an extremely prized exotic leather, setting prices as high as two-hundred US dollars. It is said that "a cobra hunter always returns victorious" because the skins are so rare. In Asia, no protective laws have been made for cobras. In southern India, a dozen of more king cobras are killed by people each year when the snakes go onto tea farms, and into villages.
King Cobra Personalities, by Jackie Gimlan
