King Cobras, like other snakes, receive chemical information (“smell”) via their forked tongues, which pick up scent particles and transfer them to a special sensory receptor (Jacobson's Organ) located in the roof of its mouth.[1]When the scent of a meal has been detected, the snake will flick its
tongue to gauge the prey's direction (the twin forks of the tongue
acting in stereo); it will also rely on its keen eyesight (King Cobras
are able to detect moving prey almost 100 m [300 feet] away),
intelligence[8] and sensitivity to earth-borne vibration to track its prey.[9] Following envenomation, the King Cobra will begin to swallow its struggling prey while its toxins begin the digestion of its victim.[1]King Cobras, as with all other snakes, do not have rigidly fixed jaws.
Instead, the jaw bones are connected by extremely pliable ligaments,
enabling the lower jaw bones to move independently of each other.[1]Like other snakes, the King Cobra does not chew its food, instead it
swallows its prey whole. The expansion of the jaw enables the snake to
swallow prey much larger than its head.[1]King Cobras are able to hunt at all times of day, although it is rarely seen at night, leading most herpetologists to classify it as a diurnal species.[1][2]
tongue to gauge the prey's direction (the twin forks of the tongue
acting in stereo); it will also rely on its keen eyesight (King Cobras
are able to detect moving prey almost 100 m [300 feet] away),
intelligence[8] and sensitivity to earth-borne vibration to track its prey.[9] Following envenomation, the King Cobra will begin to swallow its struggling prey while its toxins begin the digestion of its victim.[1]King Cobras, as with all other snakes, do not have rigidly fixed jaws.
Instead, the jaw bones are connected by extremely pliable ligaments,
enabling the lower jaw bones to move independently of each other.[1]Like other snakes, the King Cobra does not chew its food, instead it
swallows its prey whole. The expansion of the jaw enables the snake to
swallow prey much larger than its head.[1]King Cobras are able to hunt at all times of day, although it is rarely seen at night, leading most herpetologists to classify it as a diurnal species.[1][2]
