B
“Oh, rats!” would be a dinner
invitation to an Indian cobra.
TRUE. Indian cobras eat rodents, frogs,
and other small animals. Cobra venom
paralyzes and kills the prey.
A newly hatched cobra is the
same length as a regular hot dog.
FALSE. It’s as long as two hot dogs end
to end. The 10 -inch-long hatchling is
venomous and able to spread its hood.
A cobra achieves its threatening
pose by spreading its long ribs.
TRUE. The resulting hood makes the
cobra appear larger and fiercer. False
eyespots add to the illusion.
King cobras will eat Indian cobras.
TRUE. The mongoose is another predator.
“Bite first, ask questions later” is
the cobra’s motto.
FALSE. Rather than bite, a cobra will first
try to scare away an attacker by hissing
and displaying its hood.
ISTOCKPHOTO / GETTY IMAGES
INDIAN COBRA
A
B
C
D
E