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Hello

Does anyone know if its true that king cobras will predate and eat pythons the same size as they are ?

>>Hello
>>
>>Does anyone know if its true that king cobras will predate and eat pythons the same size as they are ?

Yes, they will.
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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat (WV Rescue) "Roberta"

Up to a point, as when both begin to obtain lengths of over 10', pythons tend to obtain a girth which makes them difficult for all but the largest O. hannah to feed upon. while O. hannah obtain fascinating lengths, up to 18' have been recorded, the largest specimen I have ever seen was just shy of 16', they are quite slender. Generally, they will feed upon native colubrids, but are opportunistic and will not hesitate preying upon smaller members of their own species...

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

Hey Jeff!

I bow to your superior knowlege.

I have researched the King Cobra vs. Python thing. The excellent book Tales of Giant Snakes by Murphy and Henderson (Krieger 1997) recounts two encounters between the protagonists.

In one case a P. reticulata (reticulated python) was encountered constricting an O.hannah (the King) in West Malaysa circa 1978. The outcome of the battle is unknown. In Burma a similar encounter was reported between a 10.3 ft Hamadryad (the King) and a 7.9 ft unspecified python circa 1912. This fight ended with both snakes killed by the hand of man.

Regards

John D

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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat (WV Rescue) "Roberta"

No superior knowledge here, just what I have learned from years of experience, research, my own observations and those shared by others.
Unfortunately, the hands of man probably account for far more mortalities within the serpent world, either directly or indirectly, then are taken by ophiophagic species...

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

>>...Unfortunately, the hands of man probably account for far more mortalities within the serpent world, either directly or indirectly, then are taken by ophiophagic species...
>>
>>Best regards,
>>
>>Jeff
>>-----
>>Jeff Snodgres
>>University of Arkansas
>>snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
>>501.603.1947

All too true.

If you don't already have Tales Of Giant Snakes, you need it!

Regards

John D.

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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat (WV Rescue) "Roberta"

Ok so from what i gathered it goes both ways sometimes the cobra is atacked sometime the python is attacked? I wonder though does the cobras venom work on pythons? If so then it probably should not be hard for the cobra to dispatch them

The venom of O. hannah is quite effective on pythons, other O. hannah too and there have been instances of them accidentally envenomating themselves, as I have worked with one such specimens and know of a few others for which accidental self envenomation has occurred.
While I am not familiar with any accounts of Python spp. initiating an attack upon O. hannah, I am aware of O. hannah "biting off" a bit more then they could "chew", or in such cases "swallow"..

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

John Murphy and Robert Henderson did an excellent job of that book! I read it many years ago and I thank you for the reminder, as it has been sitting on my bookshelf much too long and it's time I revisited it...

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1153089,1153089

When you watch the video, there is one for a Cobra eating a Python to the right of the screen. I haven't watched it, but it sounds like something you might be interested in.
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
4.4.0 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.1.0 Everglades Rat Snakes
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.1.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
0.1.0 Tangerine Honduran Milksnake
1.0.0 Honduran Milksnake
1.2.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.0 Woma Python
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Macklot's Pythons
0.0.1 Ribbon Snake
1.0.0 Western Hognose
0.1.0 Albino San Diego Gopher Snake
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher Snake
0.1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
1.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (River Road)
0.1.1 California Kingsnakes
1.0.0 Yellowtail Cribo
0.1.0 Blacktail Cribo

LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
1.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
2.3.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
FROGS
2.2.0 Southern Bell Frogs
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.1.0 Striped Walking Frogs
1.1.1 White's Tree Frogs

Awesome!

King Cobra pwns a Reticulated Python.

The Retic puts up a fight, and gets several coils around the King, but secumbs to the venom.

If I had a Hamadryad, I'd name him Elvis.

Long live the King!

JPD

Here's a like to go directly to the video:
King Vs. Python

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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat (WV Rescue) "Roberta"

OMG wow amazing video! Thanks so much. It seems though the only power the king cobra has is in its venom had it not of had its venom the other snake would of killed the cobra

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usc3CPaakV4

i guess so