This is one of the most poisonous and extremely dangerous reptiles on Earth. Its venom is very toxic. There are sixteen species of cobras, and all of them are extremely dangerous.
Habitat
Cobras mainly inhabit the Old World - Africa (almost the entire continent), South and Central Asia (Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka). As already mentioned, this Cobra is very thermophilic - it will not live where snow falls and lies in winter. The only exception, perhaps, is She lives in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. The drier the places, the more preferable they are for these reptiles. Most often they choose bushes, jungles, deserts and semi-deserts. Sometimes they can be seen on river banks, but most often they avoid wet places. Cobra is also found in mountainous areas, but not higher than 2400 meters above sea level.
Reproduction
These snakes breed once a year. Most often this happens in January-February or spring. The fertility of these reptiles largely depends on their species. One female can lay from eight to seventy eggs.
The collared cobra is the only one of all species that gives birth to live young. She is capable of giving birth to up to sixty babies. During this period, the king and Indian cobras can be very aggressive. They protect their offspring by driving away animals and people from the nest. This behavior is not typical for them and appears only during the period of breeding.
Who is the cobra afraid of?
Despite the fact that this snake is extremely dangerous, it also has serious enemies. Her young can be eaten by larger reptiles. Adults can be killed by meerkats and mongooses. These animals are not immune to the venom of cobras, however, they are able to cleverly distract the snake’s attention with their false attacks. They seize the right moment and inflict a fatal bite on the back of her head. A cobra, having encountered a meerkat or mongoose on its way, has practically no chance of salvation.
Indian cobra
This species is most often found in Africa and South Asia. Quite often it is called this name because of the characteristic pattern on the back of the hood. It consists of two neat rings with a bow. When this venomous cobra defends itself, it raises the front of its body almost vertically, and a hood appears behind its head. The length of the snake is 1 meter and eighty centimeters. It feeds mainly on amphibians - rodents and small lizards, and will not refuse bird eggs. This is a very prolific venomous snake. The Naja naja cobra often lays up to 45 eggs! Interestingly, the male also monitors the safety of the clutch.
Spitting Cobra
This is a special subspecies of Indian cobra. It shoots poison at an enemy located at a distance of up to two meters, and is capable of hitting a target with a diameter of up to two centimeters. And, I must say, the snake is distinguished by high accuracy. To kill the victim, it is not enough for the poison to enter the body. The poison will not penetrate the skin, but it is very dangerous if it comes into contact with the mucous membrane. Therefore, the main target of these snakes is their eyes. If hit accurately, the victim may lose his sight completely. To avoid this, you must immediately rinse your eyes with plenty of water.
Egyptian cobra
Distributed throughout and in Africa. This is also a poisonous snake. The Naja haje cobra grows up to two meters in length. Her hood is much smaller than that of her Indian relative. Among the ancient Egyptians, it symbolized power, and her poisonous bite used as a means of killing in public executions.
King cobra snake (hamadryad)
Many believe that this is the largest venomous snake in the world. The length of adult individuals is more than three meters, but more impressive cases have been recorded - 5.5 meters! This erroneous opinion. There is a reptile large sizes than Against the anaconda, it may seem just tiny - after all, some individuals of this species reach a length of ten meters!
Hamadryads are widespread in India, south of the Himalayas, in Southern China, in the Philippines, as far as Bali, and in Indochina. Most of the time the reptile is on the ground, but at the same time it can excellently crawl through trees and swim. According to experts, this amazing creature is a king cobra. How can a snake be such an impressive size? Many people are surprised by this. Indeed, its size is simply terrifying, although it does not look too heavy and massive, like, for example, a python.
Cobra color
It is highly variable due to its extensive habitat. Most often - yellowish-green with black rings. On the front part of the body they are narrower and not very clear, towards the tail they become wider and brighter. The color of young individuals is more saturated.
Reproduction
This is one of the few species of snakes whose males, when meeting in the same territory, engage in ritual fights, but do not bite each other. Naturally, the winner stays with the female. Mating is preceded by a period of courtship, after which it becomes clear to the male that his “chosen one” is not dangerous to him. After about a month, the female lays eggs. Before this event occurs, the king cobra is engaged in the construction of the nest. How can a snake without limbs or beak cope with this task? It turns out that with the front part of her body she is raking dry leaves and branches into a round pile.
The number of eggs varies - from twenty to forty. As a rule, the clutch is guarded by the female, having previously covered it with leaves and positioned herself on its top. But cases have been recorded when the male also takes part in protection. The incubation period lasts approximately one hundred days. Shortly before the birth of the offspring, the female leaves the nest to get food for herself. After birth, the cubs stay near the nest for about a day. From the moment of their appearance they are completely independent, from birth they have poison, but in very limited large quantities, which allows them to hunt small rodents, and sometimes even insects.
Lethal Weapon
How does this dangerous snake strike its prey? The king cobra doses its very strong poison. Its volume depends on the size and weight of the victim. Usually its amount is several times higher than the lethal dose. Interestingly, when eating poisoned prey, the snake itself does not suffer at all.
Usually, in order to scare away a person, a cobra bites, but does not release poison, since it needs it when hunting. But under no circumstances should you hope for this! Cobra venom can kill an elephant in a few hours. It paralyzes the muscular system and the victim dies from suffocation. If poison enters the body, a person dies within 15 minutes.
This snake is of great interest to scientists. Cobra, whose venom is undoubtedly very toxic, can also be useful for humans. How? Research has revealed that its venom in small doses can be used to produce valuable medications that have a positive effect on the cardiovascular and nervous systems and normalize blood pressure. Scientists around the world have been studying this poison for more than fifty years, and despite such a long period of research, they are discovering more and more new compounds in it that are useful for modern medicine.
Many people believe that cobras are very aggressive. This is wrong. They are very calm, one might even call their behavior phlegmatic. If you study the habits of asps well, you can control them, as skillful “snake charmers” often demonstrate. King Cobra- a dangerous creature, but you should know that when meeting a person, it does not attack, but defends itself.
The king cobra, or hamadryad (lat. Ophiophagus hannah) belongs to the family Elapidae. It is the largest venomous reptile on our planet. The length of the record holder who lived at the London Zoo was 571 cm, and the weight reached 9 kg.
The name of the monotypic genus Ophiophagus is translated from Greek into Russian as “snake eater”. They form the basis of the diet of this reptile. According to molecular genetic studies, it is closer to (Bungarus), mambas (Dendroaspis) and African spotted adders (Elapsoidea) than to other cobras.
The origin of such family ties still remains a mystery and does not have a reliable convincing explanation.
Spreading
The king cobra is found throughout much of South and Southeast Asia. It is distributed in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Chinese provinces of Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan and Sichuan.
In Indonesia, the reptile is found on the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Bali, Java, Banka, Mentawai, and in the Philippines on the islands of Mindanao, Mindoro, Negros, Palawan, Balabac and Luzon. In India, the largest populations are observed in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, located in the south of the country.
The northern border of the range runs at the foot of the Himalayan mountains. Hamadryad prefers to settle in tropical rainforests near ponds and mangrove swamps. IN mountainous area adapted to existence at altitudes up to 2000 m above sea level.
IN last years the reptile increasingly chooses the outskirts for its place of residence settlements, where rodents and rat snakes (Elaphe) prey on them are found in abundance. The latter are among his favorite victims.
The species was first described in 1836 by Danish zoologist Theodor Edward Cantor as Hamadryas hannah.
King cobra venom
The reptile is one of the most dangerous poisonous snakes. Its venom is not as strong as that of the Indian cobra (Naja naja), but it is mortal danger for the victim due to the large dose. At one time, she is capable of injecting more than 2 teaspoons of toxins into the victim’s body, piercing fangs 12-15 mm long into it. The amount of injected poison is regulated by the snake and the dry residue ranges from 102 to 420 mg.
The lethal dose is 0.34 mg per 1 kg of victim. Cases of death of adult elephants 3 hours after being bitten have been recorded.
Hamadryad venom primarily affects nervous system. Acute pain and swelling appears at the site of the bite, followed by necrosis. Almost instantly, dizziness, blurred vision, loss of speech and drowsiness occur, soon ending in paralysis. The victim's cardiovascular system is disrupted and she falls into a coma.
Death can often occur within 20 minutes of a king cobra bite due to respiratory arrest, but usually within 2-10 hours.
Its venom has no effect on members of its own species, but is fatal to all other snakes.
Not all asp attacks on humans are fatal. In 50-60% of cases, he does not inject poison into the victim’s body, but even then it is necessary to administer the antidote as quickly as possible and provide qualified medical care. In Thailand, the local population effectively uses compresses made from a mixture of alcohol and roots (Curcuma) to reduce the effect of neurotoxic toxins.
Behavior
The king cobra leads a predominantly terrestrial lifestyle, but is very good at climbing trees, especially when young. Activity occurs at any time of the day as hunger sets in, more often during the day. A well-fed reptile rests in its lair, which is most often located in burrows or caves. In search of food, it can crawl tens of kilometers.
The snake is very aggressive and moves relatively quickly. It is almost impossible for its usual victims to escape from it. She swims well and can catch up with fleeing prey in the water. The cobra bites her and waits until she dies or becomes immobile. The wait takes 10-30 minutes.
During an attack, reptiles raise their heads high above the ground and are even able to crawl in this position. This characteristic pose also helps them in sorting out relationships. The reptile strives to touch the top of the enemy's head. As a rule, this is enough for him to admit defeat and crawl away.
This species has no natural enemies in its natural habitat. Only (Herpestes edwardsi) can challenge it. Danger awaits only very young snakes, which can become a hunting trophy for birds of prey or their older relatives.
The daily menu includes small and medium-sized snakes, and to a lesser extent lizards. Hamadryads, as a rule, ignore mammals. For this reason, keeping them in zoos is associated with certain difficulties. Even very hungry individuals usually refuse to eat rats and mice offered to them.
Reproduction
Puberty occurs after the age of 5 years. King cobras breed in most regions of their range all year round. In India, egg laying occurs most often from April to June.
A fertilized female lays from 20 to 40 eggs measuring about 65x33 mm in a pre-prepared nest located in a hard-to-reach place.
The nest can reach a height of up to 1 m. It is constructed from leaves and other soft plant fragments.
The female covers the clutch with her body throughout the incubation period, which lasts 80-120 days, and only occasionally leaves if necessary. She defends her very aggressively and attacks anyone who comes within close range. Shortly before the hatching of the offspring, the mother leaves the nest and crawls away from it. This way she gets rid of the temptation to feast on her own offspring.
The babies hatch fully formed, with a characteristic hood on the back of the head and poison glands. Their body length is 50-53 cm. They are already able to take care of themselves and have a sufficient supply of poison to inflict a fatal bite. Baby snakes are ready for defense and attack already at the moment of their birth.
Description
The average length of adult individuals is 380-450 cm, and their weight is about 6 kg. Approximately a fifth of the total length is in the tail. The main color background depends on the surrounding landscape; olive-brown, yellowish-brown, brown, black-brown and almost black shades predominate.
Whitish or yellowish transverse stripes are clearly visible throughout the body, which become more faded as they grow older.
The throat and front of the neck are yellow-orange or yellowish-white. The belly is whitish or gray-white. The head is relatively small and only slightly separated from the body. The iris is dark brown or black, the pupils have round shape. The mouth is very wide.
The male is larger than the female, which is rare among snakes.
The lifespan of king cobras is about 30 years. They continue to grow until they die.
Indian cobra or spectacled snake
Source: http://iiru.ru
Indian cobra, or spectacled snake, got its name for a reason. She is bright and extravagant. The main color of her overalls is yellow with blue sparkles and a brown scarf (stripes) at the throat. The back of the overalls is darker - Brown, and in the area of the ribs it’s wonderful identification mark– white applique in the form of pince-nez.
Source: http://givotnie.com
Among these snakes there are also those that have one eyepiece in the applique; these are called monocles.
The Indian cobra grows up to 1.5 - 2 m.
You can meet this beauty in India (hence the name), Central Asia, Southern China, the islands of the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines. The snake has no specific requirements for its place of residence; it thrives in dense jungles, rice fields, and in the vicinity of humans: in parks and garden plots.
In July, the female lays from 9 to 19 eggs, from which babies hatch in late August-early September. The Indian cobra does not hatch eggs, but after laying eggs it is always nearby, protecting future offspring from offenders.
The spectacled snake is a predator and meat eater. She prefers to feast on rodents, amphibians and birds. But its main food is small rodents, so the Indian cobra is respected by farmers, because thanks to its efforts, there are fewer crop pests.
Source: http://cosma.livejournal.com
The venom of the Indian cobra is very toxic; one dried gram is enough to kill 140 medium-sized dogs. In humans, the effects of a bite appear within 10 minutes.
Though Indian cobras and love solitude, but they have extraordinary artistic abilities, for which they are attracted to participate in the performances of Indian snake charmers. Interestingly, only Indian and Egyptian cobras have learned to be tamed. The charmer plays the pipe, luring the snake out of the basket, and makes it sway to the beat of the music.
Source: http://www.animalsglobe.ru
In fact, the snake follows the movements of the musician, preparing to attack, but it seems that it is dancing. And the caster risks his life every second of his performance. In order to stay alive, he studies the character and habits of his pet in the smallest detail and as soon as he sees that it is ready to attack, he immediately puts it back in the basket. Skilled charmers can distract the snake's attention so much that they manage an incredible trick - kissing a snake; less skillful ones - remove the cobra's teeth. But the latter is rarely practiced: firstly, spectators can ask the caster to show the cobra's teeth, and if they do not appear, he is expelled in disgrace. Secondly, having lost its teeth, the cobra is deprived of poison and cannot digest its prey, therefore it is doomed to a slow and hungry death. Thirdly, changing a pet every 2-3 months is a troublesome and expensive task for a spellcaster.
Fearless Cobra Tamer
Source: http://www.youtube.com/
King cobra or hamadryad
Source: http://iiru.ru
The king cobra is the largest venomous snake on the planet. It grows throughout its life and grows up to 4-5 meters.
Source: http://www.zoopicture.ru
The largest king cobra was caught in Malaysia in 1937; from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail, its length was 5.5 m. While it was transported to the London Zoo, it grew a little, and its length was already 5.7 m. During World War II During the war, zoo workers were forced to kill the giant so that if the zoo was bombed, the cobra could not escape and cause trouble. The average weight of an adult individual with its impressive size is only 5-6 kg, so the cobra does not look massive like a python or anaconda.
When meeting, king cobras measure their height, each one tries to touch the top of the opponent’s head, and the one that manages to do this first is the main one. The second one gives in and tries to get out of the way as quickly as possible.
Source: http://www.tepid.ru
The color of the cobra's overalls, depending on where it lives, varies from olive to dark brown, with white, beige or yellow rings and a yellow belly. The king cobra is called not only because of its size, but also because of the six shields on the back of its head, similar to a crown.
You can meet the King Cobra in South and Southeast Asia. The queen of snakes chooses her habitat rainforests and dense thickets of bushes. In densely populated India, forests are being actively cut down. Therefore, the snake had to adapt to new conditions and learn to live next to a person, although people are not very happy about such a dangerous neighbor.
Source: http://www.zoopicture.ru
During the mating period, males, having collided in the same territory, arrange ritual fights and dances, while they do not bite each other (even if they did bite, nothing terrible would happen, because king cobras are immune to their own poison). Naturally, the winner remains near the female. At the same time, the winner is very jealous, and if the loser managed to fertilize the female, he can kill and eat her.
The male takes care of the female for a long time, but not because he is a gallant gentleman, but in order to make sure that she accepts him and will not send him to his forefathers, if something goes wrong.
The female lays 20-40 eggs in the nest. In order not to inadvertently eat the baby snakes, shortly before their appearance, it crawls away to hunt in order to eat enough.
KING COBRA - SNAKE KILLER
The largest of all venomous snakes in the world is not without reason called the king cobra. The average size of an adult is three to four meters, but there are individual specimens reaching a length of five and a half meters. This poisonous monster can be found in India, Southern China, Malaysia and Indonesia, the Greater Sunda Islands and the Philippines. The king cobra prefers remote areas of the jungle, covered with dense undergrowth or tall grass, but sometimes appears in residential villages. It is very easy to recognize: on the king cobra’s head behind the back of the head there are six large scutes arranged in a semicircle. The body of the snake, which has a yellowish-green color, is surrounded by black rings, vague and narrow near the head and clearer and wider closer to the tail.
The snake itself has a rather nasty character and an unpleasant habit of chasing its opponent when he tries to escape. The king cobra is an excellent swimmer and excellent tree climber, making it very difficult to hide from it. True, the aggressiveness of the snake is simply explained. Most often, her attacks are associated with protecting a nest with eggs. Travelers who encounter a king cobra in the jungle and are forced to shoot it or flee for their lives talk about the reptile's seemingly causeless attack. However, they may not realize that they were actually passing by a snake's nest.
Yes, oddly enough, the king cobra is the only snake that builds a nest for its offspring. The cobra uses its body to rake grass and dry leaves into a pile until it forms a low, round cushion. Having laid eggs there (usually from twenty to forty pieces), the snake settles on top and “hatches” them like a real bird. Sometimes the female is replaced by the father of the offspring, just like the mother, ready at any moment to take off and punish anyone passing by, be it a person or an animal.
True, after the birth of baby snakes, parents stop all care of them. But small cobras do not need protection and with early childhood are able to provide their own food.
In India, the king cobra is treated with great reverence. One reason is that the cobra feeds mainly on snakes. Along with harmless snakes, its diet includes kraits, whose poison is the most terrible in the world, and ordinary cobras. That is why the king cobra was assigned scientific name, which translates to “snake eater.”
sacred reptile
As already mentioned, despite the terrible danger this snake poses, Hindus idolize the king cobra. The seven-headed king cobra Shesh Naga serves as a bed and protection for the god Vishnu. Very often in temples there are images of Vishnu standing under the open hood of this giant cobra. IN long hair The god Shiva is also woven with figures of small snakes - symbols of his magical power and wisdom. Indians say that the king cobra is the only snake that understands sacred spells - mantras. This snake has purity and holiness, and it is called upon to bring wealth to the house and protect it from enemies.
The appearance of a king cobra in a temple is a sacred event. So, in September 2005, a white king cobra crawled into one of the Hindu temples in Malaysia during a service and wrapped itself around the statue of one of the saints. The parishioners took the appearance of the albino snake as a sign from above, and the temple immediately organized offerings of food and drink for the cobra and even cash to benefit the temple. The snake “stayed” for several days and during this time the sanctuary was visited by more than four thousand pilgrims.
King cobras are protected in India not only by religion, but also by secular decrees. In 1972, the government passed a law prohibiting the unnecessary killing of cobras. The offender faces imprisonment for up to three years. Special reserves for reptiles have been opened in the central and southern parts of the country. And in 2002, a special clinic even opened in India to treat wild snakes injured in the jungle.
Snake celebrations
Once a year, Hindus hold a king cobra festival. We have already written about it, it is called Nag-panchami. So, on this day there is universal worship of nagas - king cobras. Hindus bring snakes from the forest, release them in temples and right on the streets, feed them honey and other sweets and give them milk to drink. People wrap snakes around their heads, hang them around their necks, and wrap them around their arms. And what’s most interesting: not a single snake even tries to bite someone. But they also do more risky things with them. For example, men compete to see whose snake is longer. They take the reptile by the tail, use a stick to hook the cobra under the base of the hood and pull it high up. The one with the highest snake head will win. And all this is done not with harmless snakes, but with real king cobras, freshly brought from the jungle. Indians firmly believe in the legend, repeatedly confirmed by practice, that on the Nag Panchami holiday snakes do not bite anyone.
At the end of the celebration, the residents carefully take the tired cobras back to the jungle and begin to fear them again, until the next holiday.
If the cobra itself comes to a residential building as an uninvited guest, then they do not kill it, but try to appease it with offerings and persuade it not to harm the residents. During periods of heavy rains, cobras tend to leave the jungle and hide in people's houses. When one of the villages is subjected to such an invasion, the residents abandon their homes and turn to the nearest snake charmer for help, so that he would relieve people from this scourge painlessly for the cobras. And in some rich houses, king cobras constantly live as pets - favorites of the whole family and excellent guards. Domestic cobras perfectly distinguish their owners from strangers, and while they can allow their own to be treated fairly freely, it is best for uninvited strangers to stay away from them.
An interesting and educational story about the magical and miraculous qualities of the king cobra.
. King cobra is the largest snake. Therefore, it will be interesting to find out more information about it.
King Cobra - Man's Friend
The largest of all venomous snakes in the world is not without reason called the king cobra. The average size of an adult is three to four meters, but there are individual specimens reaching a length of five and a half meters. This poisonous monster can be found in India, Southern China, Malaysia and Indonesia, the Greater Sunda Islands and the Philippines. The king cobra prefers remote areas of the jungle, covered with dense undergrowth or tall grass, but sometimes appears in residential villages. It is very easy to recognize: on the king cobra’s head behind the back of the head there are six large scutes arranged in a semicircle. The body of the snake, which has a yellowish-green color, is surrounded by black rings, vague and narrow near the head and clearer and wider closer to the tail.
She herself has a rather nasty character and an unpleasant habit of chasing her opponent when he tries to escape. The king cobra is an excellent swimmer and excellent tree climber, making it very difficult to hide from it. True, the aggressiveness of the snake is simply explained. Most often, her attacks are associated with protecting a nest with eggs. Travelers who encounter a king cobra in the jungle and are forced to shoot it or flee for their lives talk about the reptile's seemingly causeless attack. However, they may not realize that they were actually passing by a snake's nest.
Yes, oddly enough, the king cobra is the only snake that builds a nest for its offspring. The cobra uses its body to rake grass and dry leaves into a pile until it forms a low, round cushion. Having laid eggs there (usually from twenty to forty pieces), the snake settles on top and “hatches” them like a real bird. Sometimes the female is replaced by the father of the offspring, just like the mother, ready at any moment to take off and punish anyone passing by, be it a person or an animal.
Miracles of Healing
Most people die after being bitten by a king cobra. Even serums do not always save. But there are (though very rarely) successful recoveries. And a completely unique case occurred several years ago in India: a huge, five-meter king cobra regularly crawled towards the priest of one of the many Indian temples. According to the customs of this area, the servant poured milk for it, and, having drunk, the cobra calmly left the temple. But one day, having received a treat, she suddenly behaved very aggressively. She attacked the priest and bit his hand. Then something strange happened: having released all its poison, the snake fell to the floor, began, in the words of the attendant, to “spit blood” and died a few minutes later. The priest himself, who was safely taken to the hospital and survived, claims that the god Shiva saved him.
The most amazing thing is that when specialists carefully examined the snake, they did not find any signs of violent death or internal damage to organs. Why the king cobra died remains a mystery.
"Come on, bite me!" And it won't bite...
There is an anecdote: a snake expert was asked how to distinguish an ordinary cobra from a king cobra. “If you didn’t die within half an hour after the bite,” he replied, “then it’s not a king cobra.”
True, after the birth of baby snakes, parents stop all care of them. But small cobras do not need protection and from early childhood they are able to get their own food.
In India, the king cobra is treated with great reverence. One reason is that the cobra feeds mainly on snakes. Along with harmless snakes, its diet includes kraits, whose poison is the most terrible in the world, and ordinary cobras. That is why the king cobra was given a scientific name, which translates as “snake eater”.
The king cobra's venom is quite strong, but the worst thing is that the snake releases it in large quantities at once, about six milliliters. One bite is usually enough to kill an adult elephant, let alone a human.
Another terrible incident occurred in the same India five years ago. A doctor in a small village was working in his garden when a snake, sneaking up unnoticed in the thick grass, bit him on the palm. The Hindu with difficulty took out a knife and cut off the reptile's head. But he couldn’t open her teeth. The poison was already beginning to take effect, there was nowhere to wait for help, and in order to save his life, the Hindu did the only thing he had the strength to do. With the same knife, he cut off half of his hand, along with the snake tightly clinging to it. This man also managed to survive.
sacred reptile
As already mentioned, despite the terrible danger this snake poses, Hindus idolize the king cobra. The seven-headed king cobra Sheshanaga serves as a bed and protection for the god Vishnu. Very often in temples there are images of Vishnu standing under the open hood of this giant cobra. Figures of small snakes are also woven into the long hair of the god Shiva - symbols of his magical power and wisdom. Indians say that the king cobra is the only snake that understands sacred spells - mantras. This snake has purity and holiness, and it is called upon to bring wealth to the house and protect it from enemies. The appearance of a king cobra in a temple is a sacred event. So, in September 2005, a white king cobra crawled into one of the Hindu temples in Malaysia during a service and wrapped itself around the statue of one of the saints. Parishioners welcomed the appearance albino snake as a sign from above, and the temple immediately organized offerings of food and drink for the cobra and even cash in favor of the temple. The snake “stayed” for several days, and during this time the sanctuary was visited by more than four thousand pilgrims.
King Cobra - Vishnu's eternal companion
King cobras are protected in India not only by religion, but also by secular decrees. In 1972, the government passed a law prohibiting the unnecessary killing of cobras. The offender faces imprisonment for up to three years. Special reserves for reptiles have been opened in the central and southern parts of the country. And in 2002, a special clinic even opened in India to treat wild snakes injured in the jungle.
Snake celebrations
Once a year, Hindus hold a king cobra festival. It is called Nagpanchami. So, on this day there is universal worship of nagas - king cobras. Hindus bring snakes from the forest, release them in temples and right on the streets, feed them honey and other sweets and give them milk to drink. People wrap snakes around their heads, hang them around their necks, and wrap them around their arms. And what’s most interesting: not a single snake even tries to bite someone. But they do more risky things with them. For example, men compete to see whose snake is longer. They take the reptile by the tail, use a stick to hook the cobra under the base of the hood and pull it high up. The one with the highest snake head will win. And all this is done not with harmless snakes, but with real king cobras, freshly brought from the jungle. Indians firmly believe in the legend, repeatedly confirmed by practice, that on the Nagpanchami holiday snakes do not bite anyone.
At the end of the celebration, the residents carefully take the tired cobras back to the jungle and begin to fear them again, until the next holiday.
If the cobra itself comes to a residential building as an uninvited guest, then they do not kill it, but try to appease it with offerings and persuade it not to harm the residents. During periods of heavy rains, cobras tend to leave the jungle and hide in people's houses. When one of the villages is subjected to such an invasion, the residents abandon their homes and turn to the nearest snake charmer for help, so that he would relieve people from this scourge painlessly for the cobras. And in some rich houses, king cobras constantly live as pets - favorites of the whole family and excellent guards. Domestic cobras perfectly distinguish their owners from strangers, and while they can allow their own to be treated fairly freely, it is best for uninvited strangers to stay away from them.
Video "King Cobra". National Geographic Society Special Issue
