COBRAS The cobra snake is an extraordinarily poisonous snake native to Asia that spreads out the skin of its

neck into a hood when disturbed. When they are interrupted, they spread out their neck to make it look like a hood so it could scare or threaten animals away. Cobras are different types of snakes and they are very unusual. Cobras are very intelligent, and can learn quickly, which helps them avoid dangerous areas. WHERE THEY LIVE The dissimilar species of cobra live in habitats ranging from tropical rain forests and swamps to savannas and deserts. Because many cobra species prey on small rodents, the snakes may hunt or live in areas around human settlements or in fields where crops growboth places where rodents thrive. Cobras are found in most parts of Africa except for the places like deserts. Their range extends through the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia and into Southeast Asia as far as Indonesia and the Philippines, and into southern China.

WHAT THEY EAT Cobras have a special type of organ, which gives it the ability to smell things very deeply. They are carnivorous which means they eat birds, fish, frogs, toads, lizards, eggs, chicks, and much more living organisms.

FIVE ADAPTATIONS -Cobras can flatten out there neck, which is used as a threat display. -Cobras cannot fold down their fangs so they are generally shorter.

-Cobras venom is a neurotoxin, which is injected into the prey through its fangs. This poison blocks communication between the victims muscles, which stops the preys movement. -Cobras strikes are quite slow in comparison to some of the faster striking snakes such as rattlesnakes. -The King Cobra can spit venom to a distance about 6 feet. They mainly aim for the eyes and main body functions to drive animals away. AMAZING FACTS ABOUT

COBRAS -Cobras are the only snakes in the world that can spit their venom, and they are accurate up to about half their own length! -King Cobras are the longest venomous snake in the world! The average male grows 18 feet long, and some have been known to grow more than 20 feet long.

-Cobras are not blind, in fact they see very well even at night. -Cobras typically live to 20 years old or more in the wild. -Cobras are at the top of the food chain. Their only natural predators are the mongoose, and man. -Cobras venom is not the strongest there is, but cobras can inject so much venom in a single bite that they can kill an elephant. -Most cobras are shy, and run and hide when people are around. King Cobras are aggressive, and will rear up and stand their ground when confronted.

-Cobras are not poisonous, they are venomous. This means that even though they have deadly venom in their sacs, the rest of the snake is edible to predators, if they are brave enough to try. -It is illegal to keep a cobra as a pet in most places, because they are so dangerous. -Cobras can hear, although they sense sound through contact with the ground much better than humans. -Baby cobras have full strength venom and can defend themselves fully like their parents. -The male King Cobra stays with the female and her eggs, and takes turns guarding the nest and hunting. -A cobras hood is created by the extension of the ribs behind the snakes' head. -A group of cobras are called a quiver.