The following articles deal with snake images and do not avoid causing discomfort, so please read with caution; the data involved in this article is from publicly available literature reports.
Cobras are mainly found in Africa, Asia and Australia, and are of a wide variety and size. Some common features of this type of snake are the anterior groove teeth, and the toxin is mainly neurotoxin or mixed toxin. Cobras in the narrow sense refer to snakes of the cobra genus of the cobra family, a venomous snake that is widely concerned by the world and is also a highly respected snake. Not just because of their deadly venom, but also their unique neck hood structure.
The genus is found only in Asia and Africa, and there are 33 species that have been identified, excluding subspecies. Africa is considered to be the center of origin of the cobra genus, and in the Old World era, it came to Asia through continuous diffusion, and the Asian cobras were spread and differentiated from a single species in Africa, and there were 11 species distributed in Asia. Cobra snakes are generally over 1 meter in size and belong to medium to large snakes, and even the weakest snakes in these cobras are intimidating.
So since the cobras distributed in each region have different toxicity, which one is the most toxic? Based on the LD50 test results of mice of existing known cobra species, the average subcutaneous subcutaneous test of the Philippine cobra is 0.20 mg/kg, and the lowest is 0.14 ml/kg, while the test result closest to it is the Central Asian cobra, with an average subcutaneous 0.21 mg/kg and a vein of 0.037 mg/kg, which is comparable in toxicity and is considered to be the two most toxic snakes in the cobra genus. The most venomous snake in the cobra is born between these two species, and most people tend to think that the Philippine cobra is the most venomous snake in the cobra genus, and is also considered one of the deadliest snakes in the world, because according to some clinical treatment studies, the venom symptoms of the Philippine cobra are more ferocious, rapid, and fast and effective neurotoxic.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="7" > where it came from</h1>
It is a cobra endemic to the Philippines, first discovered and named by American biologists in 1922, and is found only on a handful of islands in the northern Philippines. The natural habitat of these islands is ideal for the survival of the Philippine cobra, as they are covered by low-lying plains, fields, forests and jungle. As a snake with an affinity for water, the Philippine cobra spends most of its time roost near water sources, including various ponds and small rivers, which provide abundant drinking water and have abundant food sources, such as various frogs, birds, etc.
Northern Philippine Islands
However, they also often haunt the edges of rice paddies close to human areas, and even enter human settlements, because some of their favorite food in these places is rats. In human habitation, it is not only preying on rats, but also stealing eggs. Due to its extremely dangerous nature, such behavior habits will undoubtedly exacerbate conflicts with humans. Although they are considered to be very shy or timid cobras, avoid contact with humans as much as possible. Most bites occur when you accidentally approach them and get bitten.
The average length of the Philippine cobra is only about 1 meter, the largest can grow to 1.6 meters, but it weighs 7 to 9 kilograms, which is a relatively stout cobra.
A Filipino cobra as a teenager
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="31" > it will spray poison</h1>
Spraying venom can be said to be a unique skill of cobra snakes, and it is precisely because their poisonous fangs are different from the anterior grooves of vipers, special grooves, coupled with strong and powerful head muscles of the upper jaw, so that they can easily spray venom out of the grooves. Not all snakes in the cobra genus can spray venom, and as many as 16 of the 33 cobra species can spray venom, mainly in Asia, with as many as 9 species.
When threatened, the Philippine cobra will not only make some other cobras similar defensive postures, such as holding up a third of the body, inflating the neck and back, propped open the hood, making a hissing sound in the mouth, threatening threats, etc., and will also suddenly spray venom at the source of the threat, up to a distance of up to 3 meters, and almost aim at the eye of the enemy. The sprayed venom appears to be misty and scattered, and if it is accidentally splashed into the eyes and not cleaned in time, it can seriously lead to blindness. Therefore, when dealing with them, it is undoubtedly necessary to wear a gas mask.
Individual colours of Philippine cobras vary widely, with juveniles tending to be dark brown in color and adults uniformly light brown to medium brown. Unlike other cobras that take the initiative to hunt prey, the Philippine cobra is an ambush hunter, often hiding in some hidden places to launch a sudden attack, and easily subdue the prey, they belong to the nocturnal snake.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="32" > the strongest venom in a cobra</h1>
The intravenous injection value of LD50 in mice distributed in Zhoushan Cobra in China is 0.29mg/kg, and the subcutaneous test value is 0.53-0.67mg/kg, while the subcutaneous test value of the Philippine cobra is average 0.20mg/kg, and the lowest is 0.14mg/kg, which is currently the most toxic snake in the cobra genus, and only the test value of the Central Asian cobra is relatively close.
Although the toxicity of the venom varies from individual to individual, the average amount of venom in one bite is 90-100 mg. Similar to the venom component of other cobras, the main component is the post-synaptic nerve venom, its venom component is mainly neurotoxin, and other cardiac toxins or cytotoxins are few. The wound in which it is bitten does not have any local necrosis, showing obvious neurotoxin effects such as headache, nausea, vomiting, and then dizziness and difficulty breathing. In some clinical bite cases in the Philippines, some patients can die after being bitten for only 30 minutes, which shows the rapid toxicity effect.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="33" > epilogue</h1>
There are many northern islands in the Philippines, and there is a certain geographical isolation between them, so the cobras distributed in this area vary greatly in color due to long-term environmental adaptation and the exchange of geographical blocking genes between each other.
The Philippine cobra is an extremely dangerous snake that will undoubtedly be killed by humans in human-inhabited areas. Although they also have some predators in the wild, such as large birds of prey and king cobras, the biggest enemies are humans. In addition to habitat disturbances, poaching and overhuring are also major factors contributing to the marked decline in their current wild populations. For these reasons, the IUCN has classified the Philippine cobra in a "near-threaten" status, and if the current status quo is not improved, the Philippine cobra will be endangered in the next few years.