The Internet is a wonderful place. No matter what your interests are, social media has something to offer. In one such instance, animal lovers on Twitter were treated to a rare sight of a King Cobra feasting on its prey thanks to a photo that is going viral. The image shared on July 19 by IFS officer Parveen Kaswan is special, given that it captures the majestic reptile feasting on another variant of the cobra — a spectacled cobra, also known as the Indian cobra. Needless to say, the striking image has Internet users in awe. As scary as the photo is, people cannot help staring at it.
Along with the photo, Mr Kaswan shared some details of the species in the caption. He wrote, “Ophiophagus hannah. A king cobra eating a spectacled cobra. They feed on lesser mortals.”
In another tweet, he added, “The scientific name of this king cobra is Ophiophagus hannah.” Explaining the origin of the nomenclature, Mr Kaswan said, “Ophiophagus” is derived from Greek, meaning “snake-eating” and hannah is derived from the name of tree-dwelling nymphs in Greek mythology. So king living true to its name.”
“The only snake which builds nests,” he further added.
The image of the snake and its hypnotic eyes evoked a range of reactions from social media users. Replying to the original tweet, one user said, “He looked happy though.” To this, Mr Kaswan replied with some trivia. “King cobras are foodies, when it comes to other snakes. Rat snakes are their favourite. They swallow big rat snake as it is. It fits in their body,” he said, adding: “They live happily ever after.”
Reacting to the image, some users expressed shock that one snake could feast on another.
Many could not stop talking about the excellent timing of the shot.
Some users also opined that the image was proof of the fact that feeding on weaker creatures is a phenomenon across the food chain.
Tell us what you think of this photo in the comments section.
