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The
King Cobra
Did You Know
that when the
war was over, the Japanese researchers left Taiwan a little
something to remember them by? You guessed it. Instead of
destroying their research reptilia, or packing them up and
taking them out of the country, they left the poisonous snakes
to procreate in the highland wilderness.
So Taiwan has a population of
snakes that come from all over Asia and Africa. Snakes that were
never native to that particular island, but sure are now. It's
not unusual to be moving around in Taiwan and see a giant King
Cobra peering out of the bushes. Black mambas, blue kraits,
coral snakes, cobras - they're all alive and well on the island
of Taiwan.
Here's some background:
When a rattlesnake strikes, its release is very fast -
thwang! like a coiled spring leaping forward. And a full
two-thirds of its body length lunges straight out at you! A cobra,
on the other hand, raises its body up to a third of its length.
Two-thirds remains on the ground, keeping the cobra well
balanced. And its strike is slower, less abrupt than the
rattlesnake. Its head springs forward then pitches downward -
all in one motion.
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