The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the longest venomous snake in the world, growing up to 10 to 13 feet on average. The longest individual recorded was 19.1 feet in length. King cobras are sexually dimorphic, with the males being larger than the females. King cobra males captured in the Western Ghats weighed up to 10 kg while females weigh around 5 kg. The etymology of its zoological name come from “Ophiophagus” meaning “snake-eating” and hannah derived from … Read More
King Cobra and Monitor Lizard
The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is not just a snake eater as its generic name might suggest (Ophio = snake; phagus = eater). While its main diet does consist of snakes, it will also catch and eat monitor lizards. The king cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world, and males are capable of growing to a length of nearly 6 metres. In India, king cobras are found in the Andaman Islands, in the semi-evergreen and evergreen … Read More
Rom Whitaker’s Documentary One Million Snakebites Screened
Rom Whitaker’s One Million Snakebites was screened in Sathyam Cinemas, Chennai to celebrate World Environment Day. The movie aims to dispel myths about snakes and also conveys basic facts about snakes and how to avoid deadly encounters with them. Agricultural workers are more at risk as they frequently work in snake habitats. The movie also talks about venom, its purpose and how Rom is on a quest to find out if there are variations of venom across the geographical landscape. … Read More