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taxonomy
the kingdom that the king cobra classifies under is the python/elapid snakes kingdom. In this kingdom there are many different types of snakes that are classified as elapid snakes, these include the black mamba, the rattle snake, and the burmese python.
the phylum the king cobra belongs in is the chordata this means that most species in the chordata phylum, are vertebraes without backbones.
The family of snakes that the king cobra classifies under is the elapid snakes this family includes around 300,000+ snake species
The order of the king cobra snake is scaled reptiles/reptiles, these also include lizards
The genus of the king cobra snake is the ophiophagus and this genus mostly includes venomous snakes, for example rattlesnakes.
The species name of the king cobra is the ophiophagus hannah.
Evolution
Examples of common subspecies of the king cobra include,sunda king cobra o,bungaras, the western ghats king cobra,O kaalinga, and the luzon king cobra.
The amount of time king cobras have been on earth is unknown; the approximate amount of time for king cobra species is around 40 million years. a closely accurate time line is listed below.
Although the closest living relative to the king cobra is the naja group they aren’t “true cobras” but they still are included in the elapid snake family.
There isn’t an exact given ancestor of the king cobra but many scientists believe that the ancestors of the king cobra are the mambas, rather than the naja cobras as previously mentioned.
Description
Some of the key characteristics of king cobras that i have gathered, include most full grown king cobras have brown and yellow sometimes green skin, and sometimes black skin. They also typically have yellowish, and white crossbars or chevorns.
The average size of the king cobra is typically 10-12 feet,3-3.6 meters but they can also grow up to 16-18ft long in rare cases.
Typically the king cobra snake lives around to 17-20 years and in rare cases can live up to 25-30 years.
The main difference between males and females are, that males are larger and paler during the breeding season. While females are smaller and only grow up to 9 feet/2.6 meters.
DAY 2
description of habitat
There isn’t a set average amount of rainfall in the king cobras habitat, but typically their natural habitats include dense or open forests,and bamboo thickets.
Typically the type of plants that are found in their habitat entirely depends on the humidity of there habitat, but the most common plants that are found in their habitat are typical large trees and bamboo thickets.
Other animals that are typically found in the king cobras habitat include lizards, other reptiles,and sometimes amphibians.
The typical temperature in the habitat of the king cobra is around 95 degrees this is because of the humid and dense temperatures of the southeast african rainforest, that these snakes are found in.
Typically the type of terrain that king cobras usually prefer, is in rainforests and warmer climates that typically have lower climate change and are warm all year round.
Distribution
Typically the continent that king cobras are found in our south east Asia and north east Asia.
They are considered a invasive species in the philipeens because of the difference in vegetation that the philipeens offers
diet
The king cobras typical diet consists of smaller animals and sometimes other snakes some venomous and some non venomous
There isnt any exact amount of food that the king cobra needs to eat in a day but typically when they do hunt it is between dawn and dusk.
The way that king cobras hunt is by tasting the air with there forked tongues to track their prey.
The unique thing about their diet is that there main prey is usually smaller animals but sometimes it can be other larger snakes and sometimes other small snakes.
DAY 3
Social structure
King cobras do not hunt in packs nor are they social animals.
Although there isnt a exact role that king cobras play in a ecosystem somethings they do naturally that help include, maintaining natural balance in nature.
Typically there isnt generally a pack for king cobras since this animals are very non social in there habitat people don’t see them hunt in packs. This is mostly the case for lots of snakes.
There isn’t a pack leader because these animals are not social.
The way the king cobras sometimes interact with each other is by fighting and whoever wins this fight is dominant and is the one who gets the food during hunts. These fights are typically deadly for the loser as the usually starve.
Reproduction
Typically they breed once a year during the same season and sometimes the mates they have are for their entire lives and are the ones they reproduce with.
King cobras are suggested to be monogamous returning to a previous mate every breeding season.
Typically the average time that king cobras mate every year is 1-3 month time gap and this time of the year is from the start of winter to the middle of spring.
When a female sheds her skin it releases a pheromone that attracts male king cobras to her.
Typically the amount of offsprings that a king cobra has in their lifetime ranges between, 20-40.
One of the unique characteristics that is shown during the mating of the king cobra is that the male will intertwine its tale with a female and using one of its two hempines to transfer sperm into cloaca.
development
The life cycle of the king cobra starts at birth, and it cycles through many different stages such as,reproduction, gestation, hatchling emergence through molting,maturation, and eventual reproduction again.
The age that king cobras typically become sexually mature is anywhere between the ages 5-6.
When king cobras are in development they grow in areas with lower vegetation and more humid environments.
Day 4
Causes of death
The main predators of the king cobra include Mongooses,Honey badgers,and secretary birds.
The challenge of mating is another main cause of death; most king cobras deaths are because of death by another snake.
There aren't any diseases that kill king cobras or affect them often.
Their own venom can sometimes affect their own body and oftentimes can lead to death.
Competition
The types of competition that king cobras have in their environment is mating competition and hunting competition.
The primary source that king cobras fight over is other snakes. For hunting and their own survival
The ways that invasive species have cause on king cobras includes habitat degradation
Iucn status
The IUCN status of the king cobra is vulnerable, the reason that it is that way is because of climate change rapidly changing, and with that it lowers vegetation and high vegetation areas is where king cobras thrive.
In more in depth detail, one of the most impactful reasons for this rating is because of deforestation, the reason why deforestation is so devastating for king cobras is because it opens up harvesting in large numbers for skin, food and medicinal purposes
population
Although the exact population of the king cobra snake is unknown, the iucn status is vulnerable giving many scientists a guess that it is unstable, and is steadily declining.
Impact of humans
The largest impact humans have on the king cobra snake is deforestation, but other impacts that they have include, farming in large numbers for skin and food,and they are sometimes killed by humans who fear their menacing reputation.
Future impacts that humans will have on king cobras include, habitat loss, human persecution, illegal trade, and climate change.
There hasn't been any known reasons why humans want to interact with king cobras culturally, but king cobras also feel threatened by humans which is why they try to avoid humans as much as possible.
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