Rapid Fire
Ophiophagus Kaalinga
- 26 Nov 2024
- 2 min read
Recently, Karnataka's king cobra species, known locally as ‘Kaalinga Sarpa,’ is officially named Ophiophagus Kaalinga in the scientific community.
- King cobras were first classified in 1836 as Ophiophagus hannah by Danish naturalist Theodore Edward Cantor.
- King cobras underwent no genetic studies for 186 years until recently.
- The king cobra has been reclassified into four distinct species based on geographical lineages:
- Northern King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah): Found from Pakistan to eastern China and Southeast Asia.
- Sunda King Cobra (Ophiophagus bungarus): Inhabits Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, and parts of the Philippines.
- Western Ghats King Cobra (Ophiophagus kaalinga): Endemic to India’s Western Ghats.
- Luzon King Cobra (Ophiophagus salvatana): Found only on Luzon Island, Philippines.
- King cobras are diurnal (active during the day), feeding primarily on snakes like rat snakes, dhamans, and other cobras.
- The king cobra is the only snake that builds and guards a nest until the eggs hatch.
- Its venom is used in developing pain relievers like Cobroxin and Nyloxin.
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