Cannibalism is not uncommon in the animal kingdom, but it’s usually an opportunistic venture. However, recent studies have shown that snakes eat their own more often than not. King cobras, in particular, eat mostly other snakes. But why?
King cobras eat other snakes as food and prove themselves superior in fights and during mating season. When two King Cobras compete, one might kill the rival’s female partner to get rid of the enemy’s progeny.
Keep reading to find out about cannibalism among snakes and more about the eating patterns of King Cobras.
King Cobras: The Cannibals of the Snake World
Some researchers believe the King Cobras have the instinct to eat other snakes. In fact, the female King Cobra leaves her nest when the eggs are about to hatch to circumvent her instinct to eat her own offspring. She goes off searching for food for herself. Otherwise, the species would not survive.
The scientific (Latin) name of King Cobras is “Ophiophagus hannah.” Note that Ophiophagus translates to “snake eater” in Latin. This isn’t surprising as the majority of a King Cobra’s diet consists of smaller snakes or even smaller-sized King Cobras.
When other snakes aren’t available, the King Cobra might feed on birds, lizards, and mice.
Possible Reasons for King Cobra Cannibalism
Many herpetologists have tried to consider why King Cobras tend to eat other snakes and even their own species. As they are apex predators, there are several possible reasons for their dietary habits. Let’s take a look at each one.
Eating the Female That Won’t Mate
When it is mating season and the female isn’t cooperating with the male cobra, he weighs the costs and benefits of eating her. As she is of no use to him as a mate, he will benefit more from the female cobra by eating her. In such cases, we’ve observed that the male King Cobra can and does eat the unwilling female.
Competing Males
Competition among predators is no joke, which is why King Cobras will go through the trouble of eating their rivals. Evidence suggests that they might even eat the female mate of their rival males. Scientists hypothesize that this practice would kill the bloodline of their enemy, but there are no conclusive studies to support this theory.
Protecting Eggs
Another reason the female King Cobra might eat other snakes of her species would be to protect her eggs. Generally, King Cobras are not an aggressive species. However, they draw the line when it comes to their eggs and their offspring. I wouldn’t be surprised if a female Cobra ate any animal (her species or not) that came near her eggs.
The King Cobras Favorite Species
When they aren’t eating other King Cobras, this predator tends to eat other smaller snakes. Their diet includes:
- Rat snake
- Indian Cobra
- Malabar pit viper
- Banded Wolf snake
- Pythons
- Green Whip snake
- Keelback
- Blyth’s Reticulated snake
There are many other snake species that King Cobras consume. Listing them goes beyond the scope of this article. Note that the King Cobra may sometimes hunt other snakes, suggesting this is not opportunistic behavior. They actively seek out snakes to eat and will only eat other vertebrates when they don’t have access to other food.
Final Thoughts
There is still much more to learn about King Cobras and their dietary habits. We now know they prefer to eat snakes, even cannibalizing their own species when the opportunity presents itself. It is an apex predator that eats its rivals to prove superiority in a fight and slithers away for months after to digest it.