Snake Face Paint Ideas

Many kids would name the snake as their favorite animal. Snakes come in myriad colors, sizes, patterns, and degrees of dangerousness, from "harmless and kind of adorable" (the 4-inch, noodle-thin Leptotyphlops carlae) to "extremely deadly" (the 8- to 14-foot black mamba, Dendroaspis polylepis). Whether your child wants to be a snake for Halloween or if you just want to shake up the department meeting on Friday, focus your snake face painting efforts on the most distinctive features of snakes.

Forked Tongue

Slithery Snake image by J3TPhotos from Fotolia.com 

The snake's forked tongue is highly recognizable.

Paint a red or black forked (split) tongue flicking out of the person's mouth. Make the tongue a thin, straight line starting in the middle of the bottom lip, extending downward toward the chin. "Fork" the painted tongue just above the chin.

Fangs

If the person whose face is to be painted wishes to look like a venomous snake, such as a cobra, give her a pair of fangs. Snake fangs are long, pointy and close together (the two front teeth), unlike vampire fangs, which are smaller and spread farther apart (the canine teeth). Start the fangs from the middle of the upper lip. Paint two very narrow, pointy white triangles that go over and just past the bottom of the lower lip. For an optional accent, depict venom glistening at the points of the triangles.

Cobra Hood

Black Cobra in a Basket image by fotodewan from Fotolia.com 

Cobras used in snake charming performances are usually de-fanged.

Add character to your painted snake face by adding a cobra hood. King cobras are among the most well-known snakes because they are long (up to 18 1/2 feet long), have a flaring hood, raise themselves high when threatened, and are extremely deadly if they strike. (As "National Geographic" puts it, "It seems unfairly menacing that a snake that can literally 'stand up' and look a full-grown person in the eye would also be among the most venomous on the planet, but that describes the famous king cobra." "National Geographic" also notes that the venom in a single king cobra bite could "bring down an elephant.") Paint a downward-pointing triangular shape on the forehead, starting between the eyebrows and curving upward and outward to the hairline. Loop the lines down each side of the face, following the jawline, meeting under the chin.

Snake Sanctuary, Langkawi

King Cobra, it looks pretty sad in there.


Unidentified, some kind of rat snake I think.

Beautiful Pit Viper, not as beautiful as its name. Looks miserable.

Green Iguana

Red Tail Racer. The only healthy species found by me, at least it doesn't look skinny.

Common Malayan Racer, badly managed.

I wonder how long that shed ed skin was left there by that red tail racer. Pathetic.

Mangrove Cat Snake, Looks huge and long, but not healthy I can say.

My guess is a Cameron Pit Viper, correct me if I'm wrong. Cute little fellow sticking on the wall.

Blood Python. I wonder how long since it had been handled.

Red Tail Boa, did they even feed it? The water and enclosure are dirty and not well kept. You can see rotten poop in some of the enclosure as well.

Cave Racer. Big fellow.

This looks like a Ptyas Mucosus to me. Correct me if I'm wrong again. I think is the fake looking cobra.

California King Snake.

Bond structure of a snake. No description, perhaps a retic.

Not identified



Orange Baboon
Rose hair something, haha. Not into spiders.

Paradise Tree Snake

Pope Pit Viper

There is a gaboon Viper too =) Forgot to take photo of it.

This sanctuary is situated beside Makam Mahsuri and poorly taken care of. It charged a fee of Rm10 per entry which is quite expensive. Photos taken are in bad quality because of the glass behind the snake. Water marks, dirt and stains haven't been wipe for ages.

Those snakes are WC as I can see, with badly shed skin, skinny bodies and faded coloration. From the moment I step in, after encountering one person, which is the ticket seller, I do not find anyone else inside the sanctuary. No workers or cleaners or guides. My gawd, this is bad.

Authorities, please do something ! If you don't have the fund to manage the place, why not just close it down than torturing those serpents?
Most reptiles display center I went which is manage by the government looks as sucky as this. Le sigh

Dealing with snakes and snakebites

Snake! The very word seems to evoke a feeling of terror in the mind of the average person; but if one has better knowledge of these creatures, one can see that much of the dread is misplaced. Here are some FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) about snakes, answered by P Gowirshankar, a herpetologist who has been actively associated with the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS), which has had the only telemetry project for tracking the King Cobra in that region. Gowrishankar is at present located in Bangalore, pursuing his doctoral studies.

The Spectacled Cobra has a distinctly visible black mark in the neck area, that forms the 'V' when the snake opens its hood. Pic Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons.

1. I see a snake in my yard or house, and I don't want to go close to find out if it is poisonous or not. My first instinct is to panic. What should I do? Will my actions be different in case the snake is quiet, and in case it is moving about? What if it is in an odd place where it cannot be easily dislodged/chased off?
Yes, the first instinct is to panic, nothing much can be done about that. If you are aware and can do it, do your best to replace that fear with knowledge and act accordingly. If the snake is moving constantly keep a watch on it from a safe distance. If the snake is coiled up or resting nothing much to worry, do not disturb it but do keep a watch. Call any of the animal welfare organizations in Bangalore and they will help retrieve the snake.
2. In case I am bitten, or I see someone bitten by a snake, what should I do? (Especially if the snake is no longer around, and I cannot find out if the snake was venomous or not)
Not all snake bites are from venomous snakes. However do look out for the following symptoms and follow the first aid listed below:
General symptoms of a bite from a venomous snake:

• Wound site: Fang marks, discoloration, burning sensation, blistering of skin, local pain, oedema
• Bleeding from the wound that does not seem to stop
• Bleeding gums
• Progressive swelling of the bitten limb
• Drooping eyelids
• Difficulty in speaking
• Difficulty in breathing
• Drowsiness, unsteadiness

First Aid

• Calm and reassure the patient. Only a small percentage of snakebites prove serious. Panic can increase the heart rate and speed the spread of venom in the body.
• Remove any constricting items worn by the patient such as bangles, bands, bracelets, finger rings, watch and so on.
• Completely immobilize the patient: Lay them down and keep them still. Splint the bitten limb to prevent movement.
• A bitten leg should be splinted from below the ankle to the top of the thigh, and then strapped to the other leg to keep the entire lower half of the body still. A bitten arm should be splinted from the fingertips to the shoulder, and then strapped firmly (not tightly) to the side of the body.
• Keep the wound clean; do not apply mud, manure or other poultices, if the wound requires washing use uncontaminated water to gently clean it.
• Do not allow the person to walk or move about; keep them completely immobile and take them to hospital as soon after the bite as possible.
• The victim should be kept warm. Watch out for the general symptoms (listed above) and inform the doctor:

The Common Krait. Pic Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons.

The only remedy for venomous snakebite is anti-venom serum. Polyvalent anti-venom serum is effective against the bites of the Big Four: Common Cobra, Saw-scaled Viper, Common Krait, Russell's viper.
Note: Only if safely possible, try and get a good look at the snake (or photograph it) to help the doctor identify it, and treat the bite accordingly.
Here's what you should not do when a person has been bitten by a snake

• Do not give sedatives to calm the patient.
• Do not tie an electric cable, string or rubber tourniquet or ligatures, and do not cut the bite site, or the bitten limb.
• Do not use ice packs, electric shock or suction at the site of bite.
• Do not elevate the limb.
• Do not use potassium permanganate.
• Do not let the patient walk or run; keep them absolutely immobilized.
• Do not administer alcoholic beverage or any medication
• Do not give food or water, as both may be a choking hazard if the person vomits.
• Do not waste time with quack ‘remedies' such as ‘snake stones', or chanting mantras. Go for anti-venom serum without delay.

3. Where would I be able to get snake anti-venom in Bangalore?
Anti-venom is stocked in most leading hospitals of Bangalore, including Manipal Hospital, Baptist Hospital, Mallya Hospital, Bowring Hospital and St John's Medical Hospital.
4. Should I administer anti-venom in any case? If the snake was not a poisonous one, will the anti-venom have bad effects?
No. Medical assistance is mandatory as it has to be administered through intravenous means. It is best for doctors to take a call on whether to administer anti-venom after observing the symptoms. Unnecessary use of anti-venom may cause allergic reactions.
5. What should I do to prevent snakes  from entering my garden or home? I know they are good for the ecosystem, but I don't want to deal with them.
Keep the garden clean and free from mounds of litter. Keep flower pots away from doors and windows and do not stock them close to each other. Make sure there are no rats breeding in the garden or in the house. Keep the place well lit; else use a torch to move around.

The Russel's Viper has a distinctly triangular head, prominent because of a slender neck, with a thick body, and a thin tail. Pic Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons.

6. Is it true that snakes are to be found where there are termite mounds?
Not necessarily. They need to regulate their body temperature so depending on the temperature, humidity, habitat and prey base they select resting places, and a termite mound is just one such resting place.

Breeding King Cobras part 1 – feeding and sexing (Including a new Discovery in hemipene transformation)

I know many visitors to the web site have been waiting patiently for information on this subject. Starting now with feeding and sexing is seasonally correct as now is the right time. If you’re considering breeding King Cobras, you should be aware of the sexes and feeding your snakes the correct amount of food to ensure they’re in good shape for breeding.
Sexing King Cobras is not as straight forward as it is for most species of snake. Adult King Cobras can be sexed buy looking at their size, build, head shape, and the way they spread their hood. However this can cause problems and lead to incorrectly sexed snakes.
To start with size, adult male King Cobras are generally around 12 foot or over depending on a number of factors including race and age. When a male King Cobra reaches sexually maturity its build changes. It becomes far stockier with a larger head and spreads a hood that is wider at the top and as it tapers in, carries on further down the snake when it stands tall.
The smallest King Cobra I’ve had go through this change was an Indonesian (Java) male about 11 foot long. All my other breeding males are 12 foot (as that male is now) or over. I have one male that I’m sure is around 14 foot (I’ll measure him soon and put the results in the diaries). I know of other 14 footers in captivity at the moment and have heard that George Van Horn in the USA has a 17 footer? The largest King Cobra ever recorded was the 18’8″ male I’ve mentioned before at London zoo in the late 1930s.
Breeding females are generally 7 to 9 feet. The smallest I’ve known of is a 5 footer that was guarding a nest of 7 eggs in India. I have a female from Malaysia that’s 10 feet. The maximum size for a female King Cobra is usually 11 foot although there was a breeding female at the New York Zoological Park in 1954 that was 13’4″ long. This however was way back when 18 foot males still existed in the wild! I recently read an article on breeding the King Cobra that stated the male was 9 foot and the female 12 foot. This article also stated that female King Cobras commonly reach 16 feet so I’m afraid I have to dismiss it. In general a breeding male King will be 12 to 14 feet and females 7 to 9 feet. The opposite of the Asian Naja complex were females are much larger than males.
The way to sex King Cobras visually is that males are bigger than females both in length and body weight. In some parts of their range Males and Females are different colours. Males have bigger heads, longer and thicker tails, and as I’ve mentioned a hood that starts closer to the head, spreads wider at the top and gradually tapers down further than on females whose hood is more oval in shape.
When I imported my first pair of King Cobras from Thailand back in the 80’s the exporter told me of this and used it as the sole method to sex King Cobras and indeed the pair of Kings I purchased from him did show these traits.

my old male King Cobra showing typical hood

My old female King Cobra

This isn’t always evident as King Cobras do Hood in different ways to show different expressions and moods. Also the hood shape looks different from various angles. The best example I have of a King expressing different moods with the shape of his hood is also another example of how intelligent these Cobras are. One of my large male Malaysian Kings ‘Nameless’ was let out of his cage and guided to a part of the snake room that was secured to leave a King there temporarily. He had just shed and made such a mess of his cage it needed a thorough cleaning out. After finishing his cadge I thought I’d take a photo of him in his beautiful new skin. To persuade him to hood for the camera, I got his attention with my foot in snake boots. I always wear ‘snake proof’ proven boots when in my King Cobra rooms. I use my feet all the time to aid in my snake handling and on a trip to the US many years ago I was visiting Bill Love when he revived a call informing him his friend was dead after a bite from an Asian cobra to the big toe. He’d been removing retained eggs when he lost his grip, had to drop the snake and if he’d been wearing boots instead of sandals, Bill wouldn’t have received that call!
Just after I took the first photograph, ‘Nameless’ grabbed my foot and tried to envenomate it and venom dripped down the boot. He was obviously in no mood to be messed about and the photo shows it. Moments after the bite, I took a second picture. I’m sure by both the hood shape and the expression on his face he’d thought about what he had done. I’m convinced if nothing else, the long term Kings know that I’m the provider of their food. And I’m sure many of you who have dogs will agree the expression he was showing was “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done that”!

'Nameless' before the bite

'Nameless' after the bite

It’s well known that King Cobras show facial expressions (and to my knowledge are the only snakes that do), but most observations are limited to a King lowering one side of its jaw to show you a single fang as if to say “I could use this if I wanted to and you’d be sorry”. Not angry enough as to open their mouths and show you both fangs which could mean a bite is on the way!

Male King Cobra showing his 'Elvis lip'

Female King Cobra showing a single fang. Looking superior as if you’re not worthy of both fangs!

The other way to sex King Cobras is by probing them but again this is not as simple with Kings as it is with many other species of snake. Probing is where a blunt lubricated rod is inserted into a Cobras cloaca pointing towards the tail and to one side of the vent.

Probing a male King Cobra

In a male King Cobra, the probe travels a further distance as it enters one of the two inverted penis (known as hemipines although this is not an accurate description as there are two individual penises, not each one being half of the whole structure). In a female King Cobra the probe enters a much shorter distance as it is only slipping into the scent gland. The usual way to measure the distance travelled is to count the number of ventral scales the probe passes. This is done by holding the tip of your thumb at the point where the probe finishes entering the King’s body and then withdrawing the probe, holding the point your thumb is against at the cloaca and counting the number of ventral scales to the tip of the probe.
Many Cobras are sold as female when they are actually males. This has happened to me on occasions and sometimes an experienced snake keeper has shown me a ‘female’ K that I’ve then gone on to prove to be a male. When I first started keeping Cobras in the 80’s, they were all exported from Thailand and by far the greatest numbers of these were males. Some shipments arrived with the bags marked male and female but all later turned out to be males. Then in the 90’s Thailand outlawed the export of its snakes. The Thai government should be congratulated for that, although I would rather see a global situation were no snakes are exported by the 100s. There are ample numbers of snakes being captive bred for the pet trade. I’d rather that instead of a country having a total ban (be it KCs or other snake species), permits are allowed for small shipments of say 10 snakes or less for either scientific reasons or as breeding stock. This way local snake catchers/dealers could still make a living as they could charge much higher prices for these small shipments, and the condition of snakes exported would be far better as the high value would make exporters look after their chargers and the small numbers would elevate the problems caused by overcrowding. Also the fact that these snake species were available, if you went to the trouble of applying for a scientific or breeder permit would prevent the ‘smuggling’ that is sometimes a cause of suffering to the snakes. Around the same time Thailand closed its doors to the trade in wild snakes, Indonesia opened its doors up and I was horrified at the numbers and condition of imported King Cobras that I saw at American dealers back then. The King Cobras exported from Indonesia are often of a more even sex ratio. Cobras now exported from Malaysia are always very male heavy.
There’s a good reason why Cobras are often miss sexed. I have never read or been told about this so it could be a new Discovery! When I probe a litter of my newly hatched Cobras, all the males probed 7 ventral scales and the females just one scale. They continue to probe like this until they reach sexual maturity. Then when the males go through the changes in build that I described earlier (or shortly before), they will probe up to 24 ventral scales and the adult females will probe 2 or 3. Also the probe will move and won’t feel so stiff in the wider scent gland of the mature female.

Measuring the distance probed by counting the scales

Much longer probing of sexually mature King Cobra

Commercially available probes can vary in quality from excellent to out-right dangerous. To probe those 20 plus ventral scales of a sexually mature male I use a blunt knitting needle.

Comparing the good and bad probes

These sexing errors could occur when someone has two or more males of different sizes. An 11 foot male is probed with the largest ‘python probe’ in the owners set and it seems to literally disappear inside the snake and enters the maximum of its length. The King is large bodied has a big head and a long tapering hood. It’s correctly sexed as a male. Then a 7 foot King is looked at, it is less stocky, its hood is more oval and its heads smaller. Then when it’s probed the probe comes to an abrupt halt having only entered into the snake a small distance compared to the 11 footer. The owner possibly didn’t count exactly how many ventral scales it’s passed (and its probably 7). The Cobra is then miss identified as a female.
If the Cobra is well looked after and feeds well in a year or two it will be 11 or 12 feet long and probe well past 7 ventral scales and possibly as many as 22!

Five head cobra

King Cobra Taxonomy

This post is in response to a question I received a while ago via the website:
“Keep up the good work.
PS You need to some taxonomy on the group and resurrecting some of the names assigned for the various regional variants.
I have not looked at the group, but am aware that most if not all were named a few decades back by some bloke that none of his peers liked.  ALL THE BEST”
At the moment the King Cobra is a lone species in its own genus – Ophiophagus Hannah (cantor 1836). For several years an Indian herpetologist has proposed the two locality types from India are separate species, that there was possibly several species of Ophiophagus throughout their range and that he would be publishing a description of the species using traditional taxonomy e.g. scale counts but this has not yet happened.
I and others including academics agree there are at least 4 and possibly 7 species, never mind sub species (which is a completely different debate that I don’t want to open at the moment). I have and will continue to supply DNA samples to any researchers who require them. The problem is the King Cobra is RARE and this is reflected in museum specimens. If you want to look at a type of Crotalus you could probably examine 100s of preserved specimens and say “I know this species” but this isn’t possible with Ophiophagus!
An example of why this is important is as follows: I have a King Cobra with CITIES papers from Bali Indonesia. She has different scaleation to the rear of her head from all other Indonesian Kings I’ve seen and ‘hood chevrons’ covering her whole body to the tip of her tail! I can’t say she’s a new species from Bali for two reasons. 1) I haven’t and can’t examine enough King Cobras from this, the more easterly part of the range. Interestingly they tend to be smaller, cope better with surviving in secondary habitat and unlike most populations an almost even sex ratio is sometimes imported. Kings imported from other areas tend to be very male heavy.
2) To say “I know this species” and this is a new one Ophiophagus O’shea (-: what if it’s an aberrant? – a mutation? If I’d examined 50+ King Cobras from Bali I’d know but few exist! The other problem is what if she’s not even from Bali but caught on a different island and just exported from there? Taxonomists are looking at the genus and I’m sure eventually it will contain several species but I’m neither a taxonomist nor an academic although I’ll continue to provide samples from my Cobras to those who are.

Head shot of Sue two my female Bali king.

Head shot of Queeny a typical Indonesian King Cobra.

My female King Cobra ‘Suetwo’ – a new species of Ophiophagus or ‘mutation’? – Either way she’s a ‘looker’!

Suetwo - named after my wife who helped with the emergency care and TLC that saved this King Cobras life. (Sue cried as she felt her ribs even though she's no snake fan, but of course a true animal lover!)

Photo of Suetwo showing her chevrons.

King cobra snakes

The king of kings

Snakes, world over are feared worshipped and respected for their sheer majestic appearance, venom and beauty. Be it a tiny worm snake or an anaconda. This mix of respect and fear has made the snakes feature in the mythology of many nations but more often than not, the fear has caused people to beat them to death on sighting one, irrespective of being harmless or venomous. These are creatures that have a very special place in nature but also in my heart. Having the influence of snakes in my name itself, this does not sound surprising. There was a point in the little time that I have managed to live where I feared the snakes more than respecting them and shared the intention of the numerous men of clubbing one to death at sight! It took many hours of snake shows on TV and holding a tiny watersnake shoved into my hand by the “Snake shyam of mysore” to get over the fear and start caring and respecting these snakes.
The respect grew and I had this dream of becoming a herpetologist! ( I also dreamed of being a pilot, soldier, philosopher and what not!).Though that I am not sure of having become anything yet, I am quite happy that I have been able to stick around with nature and wilderness and witness these gentle creatures in their own world and have had numerous encounters with them both dead and alive in a couple of years- and even got bitten by a rat snake once! With this fascination, respect and whatever you want to call it of snakes standing the test of time, I wanted many more encounters and experiences which would make this little life on earth a worthy one to live. And there is one snake which I always wished to see and know more about like any other snake lover at least in India. The legendary King cobra.
This snake, being the longest venomous snake in this big and wide country is on the hitlist of anyone who loves these cold blooded seemingly mis-evolved creatures. The highly venomous yet gentle and majestic snake, seldom seen is an important predator in the evergreen forests and is restricted to parts of the Western Ghats and the forests of Orissa and further east. With human encounters being far and few between, the respects this snake gains is phenomenal and is called with equally respectful names in colloquial terms.
It is the only snake to build a nest and eat other venomous snakes, it can pump in enough venom to kill a full grown man 20 times over and can grow up to 15 ft and as thick as a human fore arm! And there is no anti venom for this snake in case someone gets bitten by these clever and bold snakes.
My first encounter with this snake was in 2007. I was a volunteer with Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore and was part of a team monitoring the presence of tigers and their prey in the forests across the Western Ghats of India. Balehonur in central Western Ghats is one place where the snakes are seen and while returning from field work to Shimoga district, we happen to see a thick snake crossing the road. It was so long that I could not see its head or tail but the body was covering the whole width of the road. We were able to take only a couple of pictures before the snake moved into the thickets and we never got to see the head. A round of discussion and pouring over field guides proved it to be his majesty himself!! (Or must I say her?). That was a seemingly un-exciting encounter with this majestic snake but none the less, a great sighting. This incident has been now refreshed with an even better and an unforgettable experience I had a few days back in 2010 in Mundanturai. With the campaign asking people to be better ancestors during the Lord Sorimuthian festival in KMTR coming to an end, I was packing up to leave to Pondicherry and had just finished the much needed shower which had not seen me for almost 4 days when I heard my colleague Prashanth bolting into the dormitory and asking for Rajkamal. Having not seen him for few hours, I asked what was all the excitement about and Prashanth managed to utter between catching his breath that there was a huge snake in the Servalaar river and it was just seen getting washed away in the water. And going by its monstrous size, it seemed like a king cobra.

I had this little confusion in my mind for two reasons- one the snake was not to be found in the deciduous habitat in Mundanthurai and the other was the reluctance to go out in search of a snake wearing shorts and bathroom slippers! However, the snake got the better of me and in a few minutes it had us both running after it after I grabbed my binocular alone assuming my camera battery was completely dead! The bridge across the river had already gathered the policemen manning it and the discussions were on about the snake, how big it was and other stories blown out of proportion. A quick chat while scanning the bank for the snake with Anthony of the Papanasam bus service revealed that they had actually seen the King and were not lying as I had thought in the back of my silly over confidant mind. The urge to see it again made run across to the other side of the river and soon prashanth and self were on the other bank after a fast bolt with Smrity following us at a rather slow pace. On the other bank, we started having discussions of how the snake came to be there and it became clear that the snake was possibly washed down the river from the upper ever green forests beyond servalar when the dam was opened. If this were to be true, I guessed that the snake would, on reaching the bank rest for quite some time after the exhaustive swim in the cold waters of the river. Being cold blooded, this sudden exercise would have drained the battery of the snake too and it would wait for quite some time to recuperate from it. Soon, the bank saw us traversing looking for the snake and being over cautious as to not step on the tiered snake and the numerous human dung piles. We spent a good 15 mins in search of the snake and there was no luck. We got down closer to the bank when a bunch of people bathing further down the river started shouting and we were there in less than a minute to hear that the snake had just went past them. They were so afraid that they did not even tell us if the snake went in water or on land. I crashed thru the thorny shrubbery followed by the other two and began looking for the snake. Another 15mins were spent in a seemingly futile search for the elusive snake and I turned back and told prashanth that the snake must have gone and there was no point searching further and as I was getting late to leave to Pondicherry in a short while, we turned back with Smrity following us 50m away. While cautiously walking avoiding all the shit, in one corner of my eye, I saw something move and it was indeed the king. This huge snake was right next to where we had passed a couple of minutes earlier and all the three of us had missed it. My joy knew no bounds as I was seeing this snake thru the binoculars with close focus and was staring right into the eye of this huge snake which indeed seemed to be of monstrous proportion.

The king cobra shot by me with smrity's small camera

The eyes of this snake immediately attract all the awe and respect it duly deserves and I had an overdose of adrenalin and ushered prashanth and asked smrity to come quickly. While prashanth spotted it in a jiffy, smrity could not and I had to hold her by her head and show the snake! All three of us were almost going berserk with the amounts of excitement and I snatched her small camera which seemed like a flimsy toy in front of this huge serpent. Stepping closer to the snake well into the biting range, I began filming the snake with her camera in which I did not know where the controls were. One thing for sure was that I was shivering of both the excitement and the fear the snake generates when one stares into its deep dark eyes.
Having wanted to kick myself for not taking the camera which I always hang around my neck even when eating, I cursed my good self and kept one eye on the snake and the other on the viewfinder and after a while the snake, in water, started moving and that is when the length of the snake became evident! It was not less than 12ft! It is indeed simply amazing to see such huge snakes in the natural setting and such experiences are some of those which keep the energy burning and the enthusiasm going.
The video was shot and the snake moved and so did we, as we did not want to die of adrenalin overdose and more so wanted to leave the snake alone to get back to its senses. The bathing family who had seen the snake was all huddled together and was overwhelmed at our courage, tenacity and sheer defiance of the fear to have gone after this snake and photograph it!
Soon a round of video showing and correcting their versions of the story began and prashanth realized that he, In spite of being over cautious had stepped badly on shit and decided to discard his pants, shoes and socks. On reaching the bridge, the policemen and Anthony of bus service were happy to see us back alive and to see the video of the “Raja naag”.
What followed was an endless round of bragging and showing off and this I shall not mention here. The only thing worth mentioning was that just that morning, I was cribbing to Saleem that I had not seen a single snake this season and thanks to the best wishes of Lord sorimuthian, I was bestowed with the sight of the king himself!
The fate of the snake however remains unknown as the river leads to another dam and if the snake floats into it, it’s pretty much dead. If it does not and decides to cross over into the evergreens, it would still be pretty much dead thanks to the numerous roads and heavy vehicular density on them.
whether the sighting is a blessing to me by Lord sori or a curse of doom to the snake, I do not have answers.

Cobra in India

Cobra in India
For Tour Enquiry - Contact us
Facts
Class: Reptiles
Diet: Small mammals, reptiles, amphibians
Size: Body:1.8 - 2.2 m (6 - 7 1/4 ft)
Scientific Name: Naja naja
Habitat: Rainforest, Rice fields, Cultivated land
Range: India, Central Asia, Southeast Asia

About Cobra in India
The Indian Cobra is known around the world as highly venomous snake that feeds on rodents, lizards, and frogs. As well as biting, the Indian cobra can attack or defend itself from a distance by "spitting" venom, which, if it enters the opponent's eyes, causes severe pain and damage. The snake actually forces the venom through its fangs, by exerting muscular pressure on the venom glands, so that it sprays out in twin jets for 2 m (6 1/2 ft) or more.

Behaviour of Indian Cobra
When threatened, the Indian Cobra will assume its characteristic posture. It will raise the front one-third of its body and elongate its long, flexible neck ribs and loose skin to form its distinctive hood, on which are resembled eyes. .

Status of Cobra in India
Although the Indian Cobra is not an endangered species, it has recently been hunted for its distinctive hood markings in the production of handbags. It is listed under the treaty because it closely resembles other species that are threatened and in need of protection.

Physical Characteristics of Indian Cobra
The Indian Cobra's most known characteristic features are the wide black band on the underside of the neck, and the hood marking design which shows half-rings on either side of the hood. It is a smooth-scaled snake with black eyes, a wide neck and head, and a medium-sized body. Its colouring varies from black, to dark brown, to a creamy white. The body is usually covered with a spectacled white or yellow pattern, which sometimes forms ragged bands. The Indian cobra may grow from 1.8m to 2.2m.

Those Cobras which have the single ring on the hood are found in Assam and Eastern India and spit venom like the Ringhals Cobra of South Africa which can eject a spray for a distance of more than two meters and cause severe eye pain, sometimes blindness. Keepers who attend this particular variety of Cobra sensibly wear goggles.

Most Poisonous - The King Cobra or Hamadryad
The King Cobra or Hamadryad, is the largest of all poisonous snakes. This sometimes 5 meter long, lethal creature is entirely a snake eater. It enjoys Pythons, other Cobras, and even its own species. The King is aggressive, unpredictable, and can strike without provocation. It is most intelligent. When erect it can stand up to 2 meters in height. In certain fertility rites in Burma, a woman desirous of offspring is required not only to approach the King Cobra but to plant a kiss on its mouth. If she is successful in doing so she will bear many children; if she fails, obviously none.

Natural History
The Indian cobra feeds on rodents, lizards and frogs. It bites quickly, and then waits while its venom damages the nervous system of the prey, paralyzing and often killing it. Like all snakes, N. naja swallows its prey whole. This species sometimes enters buildings in search of rodent prey. In its characteristic threat posture, the Indian cobra raises the front one-third of its body and spreads out its long, flexible neck ribs and loose skin to form a disklike hood, on the back of which there are markings resembling eyes.

Indian cobras pay more attention to their eggs than is usual in snakes. The 8 to 45 eggs (usually 12 to 20) are laid in a hollow tree, a termite mound or earth into which the snakes tunnel. The female guards the clutch throughout the incubation period, leaving them only for a short time each day to feed.

Economic Importance for Humans
Positive
The Indian Cobra eats rats and mice that carry disease and eat human food. Also, cobra venom is a potential source of medicines, including anti-cancer drugs and pain-killers.

Negative
This species is highly venomous, and its bite can be lethal. Because it hunts rodents that live around people, it is often encountered by accident, and many people die each year from N. naja bites.

The Festival of the Serpents
Nagapanchami or the Serpent Festival occurs in India generally in August after the monsoon rains. It is then that the full impact of Cobra power is manifest. Throughout the country Cobras are either brought into the villages and fed, or effigies of the snake are anointed and worshipped. Rarely has it ever been recorded that a fatality has occurred from snakebite during this occasion; the Cobras appear to sense they are being revered.

Although there may be variations in the date and in the local traditions and modes of observance, Nagapanchami is celebrated according to ancient rites. The festival continues to testify to the feelings of awe and veneration which the Cobra evokes in the minds of the population since the earliest times remembered. The Cobra is a graceful animal and appears always to carry an air of dignity and nobility. The physical charisma with which it is endowed is without doubt also one of the reasons why it, among all snakes, was chosen by the Nagas to be their totem.

Snake Charming
Snake charming is fascinating and at times mystifying. The eyes of the Cobra are hauntingly black and hypnotic; the snake is beautiful to watch when it is being worked by a skilled charmer. The hood is then spread and the markings apparent. The colours of the hood merge from black to brown to beige and, when framed against the sunlight, it appears almost translucent. No visit to India is complete without experiencing it.

But the true essence of the art is not observed by the tourist. There are initiates of the Shiva cult who handle Cobras without any danger of being bitten. The ‘Commercial’ snakes, generally the Spectacled Cobra, have either had their fangs extracted or the poison sacs removed. In general their lifespan is shortened due to mouth rot. The performance, nevertheless, is spectacular and colourful.