The Cobra

The head of a Indian cobra. Learn more about snake research.

       The cobra, slender and stream-lined, gleaming dully as though newly oiled and rubbed, gives little sign of its possibilities as it glides along. Its length is sometimes over six feet; its colors are modest —usually some shade of brown or black with paler markings upon the throat or in flattened head, equipped with two beady, round-pupiled eyes bands across the body. The and a black-tipped, out-darting tongue, bulges slightly on both sides before tapering into the neck. Under those inconspicuous swellings lies the poison which, though mainly used for paralyzing other animals that they may more easily be swallowed, is so successful as a means of defense that the cobra is one of the most feared of all snakes.

       When intent on a frog, rat, small bird, or smaller snake, the cobra by a quick drive of its head fastens its teeth in the other animal and sometimes chews rapidly up and down before releasing its hold. Meanwhile the muscles surrounding the poison glands press out the venom, which runs, as if down a pipe, through an immovable hollow tooth on either side of the upper jaw and into the flesh of the victim. Within a few moments the venom has started its work of destroying the nervous system and presently the animal lies helpless and unable to breathe, dying and ready to be eaten.

       There is usually far more action if the cobra is suddenly startled or attacked, for then the snake raises as much as a third of its body erect from the ground. As it wavers slightly back and forth, hissing the while, the ribs for a handsbreadth behind the head lift up and out until the skin over them is stretched wide and taut into a bellows-shaped “hood.” It is then that in some cobras there spreads into view the pale, spectacled, ring-like, or half-moon pattern on the hind side of the hood. If an arm or leg of the enemy comes within striking distance, the cobra head with jaws apart stabs out and down, probably leaving in its mark venom enough to kill hundreds of rats or several men. Some cobras are able to inject the poison directly or can squirt it from their fangs for a distance of several feet. Although the cobra rarely goes out of its way to start a fight, it will usually stand its ground when cornered; when the danger has passed, it slowly lowers its body, collapses its hood, and slides away.

       A snake-charmer of countries abroad earns part of his living by making use of the cobra habit of rising and showing the hood. He encloses the snake, caught recently enough to be easily excited, within a darkened basket, and after seating himself comfortably upon the ground in front of the basket, begins to play upon a flute. Presently he knocks off the basket lid, and upward into the light flows the cobra, its hood expanded at the strangeness and movements about it. Then the snake-charmer blows increasingly upon his flute and the cobra swings into the rhythm of the notes by swaying from side to side. Actually, however, the snake is following with its eye and body the endless side and back movements of the flutist, rather than the beat of the music, for the cobra, like other snakes, is deaf; it does not hear music with its ears but only feels sounds that cause the ground to vibrate.

       All cobras are not of the same kind, nor do more than two or three kinds live in the same place, for they are natives of many lands — the East Indies, warmer parts of southern Asia, and most of Africa. Their homes may be in jungle or open country, but just as often are they seen dozing in the flower border of a city garden or coiled amongst the stones of a crumbling house or wall where they have come in search of rats or chicken eggs.

       In a patch of undergrowth the female lays her twenty or more cream-colored, tough-shelled eggs. She and the male may stay nearby to guard the nest, but when the young hatch out, as able as their elders to bite, the parents leave and the hatchlings are obliged to care for themselves during the twelve or more years that they may live. Best.

After reading about cobras, watch some fascinating video about these snakes:

• A king cobra from the photo ark
• A snake expert removes massive king cobra from village stream in India
• Living with the King

Time to Craft Some Paper Cobras:

• How to fold a simple paper origami cobra
• Here is how to fold a elaborate paper origami cobra