King cobra and black mamba are among the biggest snakes in the world. King cobra is the longest and produces very toxic venom. They all belong to reptiles and they are all carnivores. When threatened they can lift their head up to a third of their bodies and then move forward to attack.
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So, what is the difference between king cobra and black mamba? A king cobra produces five times more venom than a black mamba making it more dangerous than a black mamba.
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Comparison Table (King Cobra vs Black Mamba)
| Characteristics | King Cobra | Black Mamba |
| Venom | It produces more venom enough to kill 20 people at a time or an elephant. | It produces little venom but it is more dangerous. |
| Size | It grows up to 13 feet. | It grows up to 14 feet. |
| Weight | It weighs up to 20 pounds. | It weighs up to 3.5 pounds. |
| Habitat | They mainly live in rainforests and prefer where there is a river or stream as they are excellent swimmers. | They live in scrublands, bushes, or small trees. |
| Behavior | They build nests for their eggs and they are shy and reclusive animals. | They are shy and will raise their heads when threatened. |
| Reproduction | The females lay between 10 to 20 eggs and guard them till they hatch. | The female lays between 10 to 25 eggs usually in decaying vegetation and guards them till they hatch. |
| What they feed on | They feed on other snakes. | They feed on birds, lizards, rodents, and bats. |
| Lifespan | They live up to 20 years. | They live up to 11 or more years. |
What is a King Cobra?
King cobra is a large venomous snake in the world. When threatened, they lift their heads up to a third of their bodies off the ground and still move forward to attack. Although they are shy, they will flare out their iconic hood and produce a hissing sound like a growling dog.
Their venom is more dangerous compared to other snakes as they produce it in large quantity hence able to kill up to 20 people. The venom attacks the respiratory center in the brain resulting in cardiac failure.
The male mates with the females then the males go away leaving the females to incubate the eggs. They are the only species that build nests for their eggs. The females lay between 10 to 20 eggs. They mainly feed on other snakes and when there is a scarcity of food they may feed on lizards.
What is a Black Mamba?
The black mamba is one of the snakes that are very dangerous because of its venom. It is considered the wordiest deadliest snake. They are among the fastest snakes in the world. They can slither up to a speed of 12.5 miles per hour.
They get their name from their skin color which tends to be olive-grey and the blue-black color of the inside of the mouth which they display when threatened. They are shy but when threatened, they will raise their head up to a third of their body off the ground, spread their cobra-like neck flap, open their black mouths and hiss.
The male mate with the female then they return to their own home. The female lays between 10 to 25 eggs usually in decaying vegetation. The decomposition of the vegetation gives off heat which warms the eggs and speeds up the hatching process. After hatching the young ones are left on their own as they can catch small prey such as rats.
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Main Differences between King Cobra and Black Mamba
- King cobras produce more venom which is able to kill up to 20 people while black mamba produces little venom.
- King cobra grows up to 13 feet while black mamba grows up to 14 feet.
- King cobra weighs up to 20 pounds while black mamba weighs up to 3.5 pounds.
- King cobra feeds on other snakes while black mamba feeds on bats, birds, rodents, and lizards.
- Female king cobras build nests for their eggs while female black mambas lay eggs on decaying vegetation.
Similarities between King Cobra and Black Mamba
- They are both reptiles.
- They are both carnivores.
- Both raise their heads up to a third of the body off the ground then move forward to attack when threatened.
- They are both shy and reclusive animals.
In Conclusion
King cobra and black mamba are dangerous snakes because of the number of toxins in their venom. They are both the world’s deadliest snakes. When threatened, they will raise their heads up to a third of their bodies off the ground then move forward to attack. The main features that make king cobra different from a black mamba are the amount of venom produced and where their females lay their eggs.
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