Indian Cobra Size report

The Indian cobra (scientific name: Naja naja) is a snake in the family Cobra family, and it is also an important representative species in the genus Cobra. The Indian cobra is a well-known venomous snake species, mainly distributed in the Indian subcontinent, hence the name. The scientific name keyword "Naja" of this snake species comes from the snake god "Naga" in Hinduism.

The Cobra is a reptile that is widely distributed on the earth, and the subtropical region where India is located is also one of the main habitats of the Cobra. In the Indian religious culture, snakes represent holiness. India has a very serious problem with venomous snakes, especially cobras.

The Indian cobra is one of the four venomous snakes in India and is the holy snake in India. Indians may also fear them because the deadly poison is its greatest weapon. Its venom is a strong neurotoxin that blocks the connection between organs and the nervous system, causing muscle paralysis, respiratory failure, and cardiac arrest. The following article will explain how to spot an Indian cobra, how big it will grow, and how they live.

Indian Cobra Size And Appearance

The scales of Indian cobras are imbricated and arranged diagonally and in various colors. There are ecru, brown, olive green, dark gray-green, or all-black, and these colors can be mixed or appear in horizontal stripes. The throat of the Indian cobra is usually pinkish-yellow. However, we will also find some mutant albino individuals: the whole body is pink and yellow, and the eyes are red. When facing an enemy, the skin of the Indian cobra's neck can be stretched, and the upper body can be raised, which is its typical threatening posture.

Indian cobras have neither external ears nor tympanic membranes, ear holes, and eustachian tubes. But it has a very well-developed vision. Unlike most vertebrates, which rely on the convex lens of the eye to focus on seeing, the Indian cobra's lens attaches directly to its retina. The Indian cobra's upper and lower eyelids are healed together to form a "transparent membrane." When the snake is molting, the color of the eyes usually turns gray, and its two "transparent membranes" will become two milky white barriers, which fall off together with the molting process.

Average Size of Indian Cobra

The Indian Cobra is moderate but heavily bodied with large nostrils and a short rounded snout. The average length of the Indian cobra is 1.4-1.6 meters, and the longest known record is a male snake about 2.25 meters long. Its body width is roughly 2.5-3.5 cm, and its weight from 2-3 kg. The body and tail of male snakes are generally larger than female snakes. The typical lifespan of the Indian Cobra is between 20-30 years.

Living Habits

The Indian cobra's habitat is mostly primeval forests, rice fields, and parks, and it also lives in dark places such as sewers. Indian cobras are solitary and usually come in pairs during the breeding season. They mainly eat rodents (such as mice), toads, frogs, birds, and some snakes. Indian cobras are oviparous and lay eggs between April and July each year. Female snakes can lay 12 to 30 eggs each time and incubate the eggs in underground nests for 48 to 69 days. The newly born Indian cobra is about 20-30 cm long and has perfect venom-secreting glands soon after birth.

Fact About Snake Charming

Indian cobras often appear in Indian movies. The snake charmer played the flute, and the cobra writhed back and forth in the bamboo basket to the music. Indian cobras will also attack snake charmers, but the probability is less. Because farmed snakes have been trained for a long time, so they usually will only bite people if they feel threatened. Moreover, there are traces of the cobra's attack. Their vision range is very narrow, and the moving objects in front of them will only attract them. They will always stare at the flute in the snake charmer's hand to keep alert. Snake Charming has nothing to do with the sound of music. Snakes have almost no hearing, and snake charmers use this to deceive the audience. A seemingly dangerous occupation that is quite safe, these performing Indian cobras usually have no venom glands.

Final Words

Notoriously venomous, the Indian cobra (Naja naja) is also characterized by its impressively large hood and a fold of skin, which can spread out from the sides of its head to increase the size of the head when threatened. Indian cobras are found in many habitats throughout their extensive range. In the plains of northern India, the temperature and humidity align with the habitat conditions that cobras like. There are sufficient food and water sources, so the number of wild Indian cobras continues to grow.