COBRA

Cobras are famous for the threatening hood at their neck.  They spread the hood out when they feel threatened or angry.  Their hood is made up of flaps of skin attached to long ribs.  They are also able to lift their heads high up off the ground, which is not only kinda scary, but helps them to search for food.  And just to make them a little scarier, they hiss loudly to scare off potential predators.

There are 270 different types of Cobras and their relatives, including Taipans, Adders, Mambas, and many sea snakes including Kraits, and they all have short fangs and are all extremely poisonous. 

Cobras live in hot tropical areas in Africa, Australia, and Southern Asia and their relatives, the Coral Snake, can be found in the United States.  They can be found underground, in trees, and under rocks.  The King Cobra is not only an excellent climber but a super swimmer as well.  They live in forests near streams.

These snakes are hunters and will quietly follow their prey until they are ready to attack.  They can move very fast and can speed along with their heads raised.  Cobras are cannibals, which means that they will eat other snakes as well as birds, bird eggs and small mammals. Kraits feed almost totally on other snakes.

Cobras lay eggs and will stick around to defend them until they hatch.  Wild boars and mongooses will steal cobra eggs. A mongoose will often win fights with Cobras because of their speed and agility.  They also have thick fur to protect them against the cobra’s fangs. 

The Spitting Cobra has a special talent.  Can you guess what it is? That’s right, it can spit! The venom it spits out can spray more than 1.8 meters, or 6 feet. Unfortunately for the one being spit at, this snake has near perfect aim, and will fire straight into the eyes of it’s prey.  Ouch!