According to National Geographic, the king cobra is one of the most venomous snakes on the planet.
It can literally “stand up” and look a full-grown person in the eye.
When confronted, it can lift up to a third of its body off the ground and still move forward to attack.
Fortunately, king cobras are shy and will avoid humans whenever possible. It will also flare out its iconic hood and emit a hiss that sounds almost like a growling dog.
King cobras can reach 18 feet in length, making them the longest of all venomous snakes.
They hunt by smell, ‘tasting’ the air with their forked tongues to track their prey. When they get close, they use their eyes to pinpoint their victim before striking, injecting a massive dose of venom. They are then able to swallow their victims whole while still alive.
Their venom is not the most potent among venomous snakes, but the amount of neurotoxin they can deliver in a single bite is enough to kill 20 people, or even an elephant.
King cobra venom affects the respiratory centers in the brain, causing respiratory arrest and cardiac failure.
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