The Indian Cobra
Naja Naja
The Indian Cobras Habitat and Diet
The Indian Cobra lives in the Indian Subcontinent, including present day Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. It likes to live in plains, jungles, open fields, and regions heavily populated by people. This is because one of the main foods in the Cobra's diet is rats, which you can find many of in farms or urban areas. Other animals in the Cobra's diet are frogs, toads, mice, and birds. The Indian Cobra has a venomous bite that can paralyze muscles, and in serious conditions, can cause cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. The symptoms of the venom can occur from 15 to 120 minutes after the bite. The only predators of the Cobra are mongoose and possibly man.
Did you know...
The Indian Cobras have a hood that is located right bellow their head. They use this hood to appear bigger. This hood only comes out when the Cobra is provoked.
Indian Cobra and Culture
Did you know that in the Hindu religion, the Indian Cobra is very respected and feared, and has its own Hindu deity. In Hinduism, the cobra is a symbol of protection. The Indian Cobra is also popular for being the preferred charming snake. When the snake charmer plays his flute, the Cobra is deaf to the music, but follows the swaying movement of the flute and can sense the vibrations of the charmer tapping the ground. For safety reasons, the charmer takes out the snakes venom, which he/she can sell at a very high price. These charmers are fairly commonly seen during the Nag Panchami festival. In the past, charmers would often conduct cobra and mongoose fights, which in most cases, ended with the Cobra dieing. These fights are now illegal.
Did you know...
The Indian Cobra grows to an average 1 meter long and has a mark on the back of its "hood" that is two circles connected by a curved line. This is why the Indian Cobra is also called the Spectacled Cobra.
Indian Cobra Reproduction
Indian Cobras mate between the months of April and July. They lay between 12 to 30 eggs, and are covered under ground or sometimes in a hollow tree. It takes from 48 to 69 days for the eggs to hatch. During the incubation period, the mother will guard the eggs. Immediately after the eggs hatch, the mother leaves. From birth the baby Cobras are independent and have fully functional venom glands. The baby cobra will feed on small rodents.