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On an ordinary summer after- noon， the temperatures felt a bit hotter than Xiao Shibai and his team normally experience. As the group began working in the rain forests of Bawangling on Hainan Island in southern China， tension hung thick in the already heavy humid air. Bawangling is considered a paradise for snakes， and travelers venture there in search of the king cobra， the world’s longest venomous snake.
Auspicious Beginning
Ecological photographer and explorer Xiao Shibai has seen almost every venomous snake species in China and many in Australia， Southeast Asia， and Africa. His relationship with Bawangling began eight years ago when he trekked across the entire area to survey every snake species he could find there. Located in Changjiang County， southwestern Hainan Island， Bawangling is a national-level nature reserve. A special landform causes the locale’s altitude to range from 350 up to 1，560 meters， making it particularly attractive to snakes. Nancha River， in the heart of Bawangling， is a hotbed for king cobra’s activity. Considering the fact that king cobras only eat other snakes， Bawangling’s rich snake resources make it even more alluring for the dreaded species.
The king cobra features strong regional characteristics. In 2013， while passing the Nancha River alone， a member of Xiao’s expedition witnessed a king cobra swallowing another snake. Upon seeing the man， the cobra immediately spit out the halfeaten snake and went after him.
Hoping to better observe or even capture the creature for research， Xiao and his team camped near the Nancha River days before their operation formally began. They got lucky within hours： Sixteen mice and a green pit viper were found near the campsite. Pit vipers often swarm banana and cassava plantations where they can easily find their favorite food： a certain species of mouse. And for those searching for the king cobra， seeing other snakes is definitely a good sign. The king is more often found in areas with heavy snake activity.
King of Snakes
The king cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake， often stretching more than five meters. Found predominantly in India， Sri Lanka， Southeast Asia and southern China， the snake is considered exceptionally dangerous and has inspired a fearsome reputation in its home regions. Actually， the creature typically avoids confrontation with humans if possible and only loves densely wooded areas. However， confronting one can be horrifying. According to Bawangling residents， in 1994， a local woman who captured and sold snakes was bitten by a pinkie-finger-sized snake with narrow Vshaped bands. In just ten minutes， she lost consciousness. Within an hour， she stopped breathing. The little snake was later identified as an infant king cobra.
Thus， in areas where the creature flourishes， many， including experienced hunters， fear meeting a king cobra and even get uncomfortable discussing them. A king cobra’s venom primarily consists of neurotoxins along with several other compounds. Neurotoxins are substances that are poisonous or destructive to nerve tissues. Commonly， the toxins affect the victim’s central nervous system and result in severe pain， blurred vision， vertigo， drowsiness， and eventually paralysis. If the bite is serious， the victim’s condition quickly deteriorates to cardiovascular collapse and a coma. Without treatment， death soon follows due to respiratory failure.
Although the species is capable of delivering a fatal bite， they are savvy enough to save the venom only for dire situations. When a snake feels threatened or provoked， it rears up the front third of its body， extends its neck， shows its fangs and hisses loudly. This warning is usually quite effective at scaring away large animals， even the Asian elephant. Only if the enemy is not frightened away do they bite. Even when hunting non-venomous snakes to eat， king cobras try not to waste venom. Rather， they spend some time fighting the prey before swallowing them. In Bawangling， summer is the time all snakes are active. “The king cobra will surely emerge to eat them，”declared one local.
Scary Field Operation
The king cobra’s survival depends on healthy natural rainforests and abundant species of snakes. Nancha River in Bawangling meets such requirements in droves. Xiao decided to try his luck amongst giant rocks near the river， a common nesting spot for king cobras. While the temperature at night remains at about 18 degrees Celsius， it’s usually up 10 degrees by noon. Then， the king cobra often comes out for food by sneaking into rock cracks or natural caves near the river bed to find prey.
However， explorers still need tremendous luck to find the creature even though they know where to look. Xiao’s team once spent a whole week looking for king cobras and came up empty. Three hours before the sun went down， Xiao and his team were still combing through streams in the rainforest. Finally， on a bare rock in some shrubbery， they spotted an adult king cobra. With a growling hiss， the snake stood erect and faced the explorers with its defensive posture.
The team decided to capture the threemeter snake quickly before taking pictures. Using a special snake-fork， they held the snake as it attempted to move forward. Xiao’s team， composed of experienced handlers of wild beasts， pinched the snake’s neck， bringing the creature under control. July is when most female cobras find a secluded place to lay eggs after mating. After laying eggs， the female will guard her eggs from birds and other predators. During this time， the female king cobra becomes extremely aggressive.
After capturing the snake， Xiao and his team finally got a good look at the animal and her hood and V-shaped bands on her back. They estimated her age at five to six years old. Although she was aggressive， they could tell that her physical strength was not great – she might have laid eggs recently. Oddly， after baby king cobras hatch， their mothers quickly transform from protector to predator and attempt to eat their own babies. And newborns soon start eating their own siblings. Only a very small proportion of infants survive to adulthood. Thus， the adult king cobra stands atop of the food chain in jungles and encounters almost no natural enemies.
In China， the king cobra is under the second-class national protection. Some scientists worry about the species’ future due to shrinking habitats and overhunting. Thankfully， the major habitats of king cobras in China have already been designated as nature reserves， affording them some space to multiply and flourish. Xiao and his team believe that real threat to the creature may be global warming. The rainforest’s complicated eco-system provides natural protection to the soil in the subterranean layer， which exerts a subtle influence on the growth of the snake. Abnormal temperature and climate will make an adverse impact on the development of their eggs， which can be a critical factor for the future of the species.
Auspicious Beginning
Ecological photographer and explorer Xiao Shibai has seen almost every venomous snake species in China and many in Australia， Southeast Asia， and Africa. His relationship with Bawangling began eight years ago when he trekked across the entire area to survey every snake species he could find there. Located in Changjiang County， southwestern Hainan Island， Bawangling is a national-level nature reserve. A special landform causes the locale’s altitude to range from 350 up to 1，560 meters， making it particularly attractive to snakes. Nancha River， in the heart of Bawangling， is a hotbed for king cobra’s activity. Considering the fact that king cobras only eat other snakes， Bawangling’s rich snake resources make it even more alluring for the dreaded species.
The king cobra features strong regional characteristics. In 2013， while passing the Nancha River alone， a member of Xiao’s expedition witnessed a king cobra swallowing another snake. Upon seeing the man， the cobra immediately spit out the halfeaten snake and went after him.
Hoping to better observe or even capture the creature for research， Xiao and his team camped near the Nancha River days before their operation formally began. They got lucky within hours： Sixteen mice and a green pit viper were found near the campsite. Pit vipers often swarm banana and cassava plantations where they can easily find their favorite food： a certain species of mouse. And for those searching for the king cobra， seeing other snakes is definitely a good sign. The king is more often found in areas with heavy snake activity.
King of Snakes
The king cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake， often stretching more than five meters. Found predominantly in India， Sri Lanka， Southeast Asia and southern China， the snake is considered exceptionally dangerous and has inspired a fearsome reputation in its home regions. Actually， the creature typically avoids confrontation with humans if possible and only loves densely wooded areas. However， confronting one can be horrifying. According to Bawangling residents， in 1994， a local woman who captured and sold snakes was bitten by a pinkie-finger-sized snake with narrow Vshaped bands. In just ten minutes， she lost consciousness. Within an hour， she stopped breathing. The little snake was later identified as an infant king cobra.
Thus， in areas where the creature flourishes， many， including experienced hunters， fear meeting a king cobra and even get uncomfortable discussing them. A king cobra’s venom primarily consists of neurotoxins along with several other compounds. Neurotoxins are substances that are poisonous or destructive to nerve tissues. Commonly， the toxins affect the victim’s central nervous system and result in severe pain， blurred vision， vertigo， drowsiness， and eventually paralysis. If the bite is serious， the victim’s condition quickly deteriorates to cardiovascular collapse and a coma. Without treatment， death soon follows due to respiratory failure.
Although the species is capable of delivering a fatal bite， they are savvy enough to save the venom only for dire situations. When a snake feels threatened or provoked， it rears up the front third of its body， extends its neck， shows its fangs and hisses loudly. This warning is usually quite effective at scaring away large animals， even the Asian elephant. Only if the enemy is not frightened away do they bite. Even when hunting non-venomous snakes to eat， king cobras try not to waste venom. Rather， they spend some time fighting the prey before swallowing them. In Bawangling， summer is the time all snakes are active. “The king cobra will surely emerge to eat them，”declared one local.
Scary Field Operation
The king cobra’s survival depends on healthy natural rainforests and abundant species of snakes. Nancha River in Bawangling meets such requirements in droves. Xiao decided to try his luck amongst giant rocks near the river， a common nesting spot for king cobras. While the temperature at night remains at about 18 degrees Celsius， it’s usually up 10 degrees by noon. Then， the king cobra often comes out for food by sneaking into rock cracks or natural caves near the river bed to find prey.
However， explorers still need tremendous luck to find the creature even though they know where to look. Xiao’s team once spent a whole week looking for king cobras and came up empty. Three hours before the sun went down， Xiao and his team were still combing through streams in the rainforest. Finally， on a bare rock in some shrubbery， they spotted an adult king cobra. With a growling hiss， the snake stood erect and faced the explorers with its defensive posture.
The team decided to capture the threemeter snake quickly before taking pictures. Using a special snake-fork， they held the snake as it attempted to move forward. Xiao’s team， composed of experienced handlers of wild beasts， pinched the snake’s neck， bringing the creature under control. July is when most female cobras find a secluded place to lay eggs after mating. After laying eggs， the female will guard her eggs from birds and other predators. During this time， the female king cobra becomes extremely aggressive.
After capturing the snake， Xiao and his team finally got a good look at the animal and her hood and V-shaped bands on her back. They estimated her age at five to six years old. Although she was aggressive， they could tell that her physical strength was not great – she might have laid eggs recently. Oddly， after baby king cobras hatch， their mothers quickly transform from protector to predator and attempt to eat their own babies. And newborns soon start eating their own siblings. Only a very small proportion of infants survive to adulthood. Thus， the adult king cobra stands atop of the food chain in jungles and encounters almost no natural enemies.
In China， the king cobra is under the second-class national protection. Some scientists worry about the species’ future due to shrinking habitats and overhunting. Thankfully， the major habitats of king cobras in China have already been designated as nature reserves， affording them some space to multiply and flourish. Xiao and his team believe that real threat to the creature may be global warming. The rainforest’s complicated eco-system provides natural protection to the soil in the subterranean layer， which exerts a subtle influence on the growth of the snake. Abnormal temperature and climate will make an adverse impact on the development of their eggs， which can be a critical factor for the future of the species.