Extremely ferocious snakes, but useful to farmers

Although not venomous, the garter snake has a very aggressive personality and is often killed by humans when encountered. The garter snake is very good at catching mice and is considered a beneficial snake.

The cobra (also known as the dragon snake or striped snake) has the scientific name Coelognathus radiata . This is a species of snake in the water snake family, distributed from India, Bangladesh to Southeast Asia, including Vietnam.

King cobras are easily identifiable by the patterns on their bodies. (Photo: RA).

In Vietnam, this snake species is distributed throughout the country , often found in the plains and midlands, and can be found in areas with many trees, bushes or in abandoned rat holes. The king cobra is a good climber so it can also be found in bushes, sometimes on roofs.

The adult king cobra can grow up to 2m long and lives on land. This snake is easy to identify. From the eyes of the snake there are three small black lines, two lines running diagonally down the upper edge, and one line across the temple. The snake's body has four black lines, running from the nape of the neck down to more than half of the body, the two large middle lines running continuously, the two side lines are smaller and broken.

The king cobra raises 1/3 of its body to threaten its enemies. (Photo: Wild Forest).

Although not venomous, the king cobra is an aggressive snake, ready to attack its opponents when it feels threatened. When in danger or threatened, the king cobra will raise the front third of its body off the ground, open its mouth wide and try to expand the skin of its neck… while getting ready to strike.

The King Cobra often keeps its head raised, mouth wide open to threaten enemies and move, causing many people to mistake it for a species of cobra (venomous). However, in fact, this snake is completely non-venomous.

When bitten by a king cobra, bleeding may occur. If bitten, people should disinfect the wound thoroughly to avoid infection. Victims can treat the wound at home without needing to go to a medical facility.

Due to their wide distribution, king cobras often encounter humans. Because of their aggressive nature, king cobras often attempt to threaten humans before fleeing, so this snake is often killed if it accidentally encounters humans.

The diet of the king cobra includes lizards, frogs, and occasionally fish and young birds. However, the main food of the king cobra is mice. This snake is very good at hunting mice, so the king cobra is a beneficial animal for agriculture.

Snakes are aggressive but… cowardly, knowing how to play dead to escape enemies.

Although it has an aggressive nature and often actively threatens enemies, in reality the king cobra is a… cowardly snake.

In case the threat action fails and the enemy cannot be stopped, the king cobra will skillfully "play" death. At this time, the king cobra will lie on its back motionless as if dead. No matter what external impact there is, the king cobra will still lie quietly without any reaction.

Many predators do not eat dead animals, so the death play of the king cobra can help it escape dangerous predators and even humans. After lying still for a while, when it feels that the threat has passed, the snake will turn over and quickly run away from the predator.