COBRA (Cob-ra)

The Cobra is a large poisonous snake.

It lives in warm climates.

It is called a "Naya" in India and Sri Lanka.

It grows up to 1.7 meters (5.5 feet) long and has a grey body with black stripes on it.

A cobra normally eats rats, mice and frogs. It does not eat people. It only attacks people when it is frightened. It always rears up and spreads out its hood before attacking.

Here is a picture of me near a real Cobra. Snake Charmers keeps cobras in baskets. They open the basket and play their flutes to make the snake dance. But really the cobra can't hear (it has no ears). The cobra is actually swaying to the movement of something the snake charmer holds in front of it. In this picture the snake charmer is moving the lid of the basket which is what the cobra is trying to attack.

A mongoose (which looks like a ferret) is very good at catching cobras and eating them. A mongoose can attack faster then your eyes can see. It attacks just as the cobra is getting ready to strike and grabs the cobra by its head. Once the mongoose bites a cobra it never lets go because if it did the cobra would strike. The cobra's bite would easily kill the mongoose.