King Cobra Swallows Another Snake Whole After Hunting for Its Own Kind

It’s always interesting to discuss what animals eat. However, it’s always eye-opening to hear that many animals will eat those who are just like them. In the case of this king cobra, he went over another snake to fulfill his hungry desires. 

King Cobra Sighting in India

The next YouTube video posted at the bottom of this blog post takes us to the Western Ghats in India. This video was filmed and shared by the Smithsonian YouTube channel. This historical channel is dedicated to providing educated resources for air and space, history, science, nature, and pop culture according to their mission. They share a few thoughts on what happened in the video below. 

“Raja the King Cobra is about to eat. He’s sunk his teeth into an ambushed rat snake, shot a dose of neurotoxin into it, and is now about to swallow it whole. You’ve been warned.” 

King Cobra Vs. Rat Snake

At the start of this video posted below, we are taken to the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats is a mountain range that extends down the western side of India. The animals are preparing for the rainy months ahead. 

We see a long rat snake head deep into the woods. But, what he doesn’t know is that the King Cobra is lying in wait for a snake just like this to pass him by. Once the rat snake passes by, the king cobra strikes. 

The narrator comments that the king cobra shoots a dose of neurotoxic venom into the rat snake. We see the king cobra bite the snake at the same time. He rolls around and coils himself around tightly so that this rat snake has no avenue of escape. 

Slowly, we see this king cobra consume this snake inch by inch. He is attempting to swallow it whole. The narrator shares that king cobras cannot chew. 

What Do King Cobras Eat?

King cobras (Ophiophagus hannah) of the genus Ophiophagus are carnivorous, which means that they eat meat. These large snakes can reach up to 18 feet in length, and they can also weigh between 11-20 pounds. 

The king cobra eats prey such as lizards, birds, and, of course, other snakes. These cobras typically eat one meal that will last them for a few months.