The King Cobra

The King Cobra preys on other snakes and lizards. It will attack venomous snakes and non-venomous ones, such as small pythons. The cobra tracks prey by sight and by tasting the air with its tongue. It strikes quickly and its venom paralyzes the victim’s nervous system. The King Cobra can dislocate its jaws like other snakes, and gradually work its meal into its long stomach. King cobras prefer non-venomous snakes like the rat snake, but they also dine on venomous Indian cobras, kraits, and even small king cobras, thus earning the ignoble title, ‘cannibal.’ In Egypt, a gilded wooded cobra called netjer-ankh ("living god") was found in the tomb of Tutankhamon. It is representative of the cobra's associations with the afterlife. In funerary works, the cobra is often depicted spitting fire.