10 Difference Between Rattlesnake, Russell Viper and King Cobra with Table

Rattlesnake, Russel viper, and king cobra are all venomous snakes. They are all carnivores. They mostly live in grass, holes, trees, and cavities of walls. These types of snakes are the largest in the world and their venom can cause the death of many people at once or even an elephant.

So, what is the difference between rattlesnake, Russel viper, and king cobra? The rattlesnake and Russel viper belongs to the same family Viperidae while king cobra belongs to the family Elipidae.

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Comparison Table (Rattlesnake Vs Russel Viper Vs King Cobra)

Rattlesnake Russel Viper King Cobra
It belongs to the family Viperidae. It belongs to the family Viperidae. It belongs to the family Elipidae.
They are found in North America. They are found in Asia. They are found in rain forests and plains of India, Southern China, and Southeast Asia.
They feed on small mammals and rodents. They feed on rodents but also feed on land crabs, small reptiles, scorpions, and other arthropods. It feeds on other snakes.
They are active during the day as they cannot tolerate the high temperatures during the day. They are terrestrial creatures and when the weather is cold, they may come out during the day. It is less aggressive unless it has been threatened. They are semiaquatic creatures.
They have long fangs. They have long fangs. They have comparatively shorter fangs.
The venom is produced in little amount but poisonous. The venom is produced in little amount but poisonous. They produce a large volume of venom.
Prey delocalization. Prey delocalization. It raises its head and spreads its narrow hood.
They are nocturnal. They are nocturnal. They are diurnal.
They Live for Between 20 to 30 years. They can live up to 15 years in captivity. They live between 10 to 20 years.
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What is Rattlesnake?

Rattlesnakes belong to the family Viperidae and the subfamily of pit vipers. There are 36 types of these snakes and 72 subspecies. They mainly inhabit the Americas. The snakes have 3 chambered hearts for the circulation system in their bodies. Their skins are very sensitive hence they serve as sensors to temperature and other climatic conditions.

 

They are nocturnal animals hence they move out during the night to hunt for their prey. As they do not tolerate heat, that is why they cannot come out during the day. When it is cold, they may come out of their burrows.

They feed on small mammals and rodents. However, they are the prey of hawks and can be killed by human beings. They have the ability to detect the presence of warm-blooded animals around them.

What is Russel Viper?

Russel vipers are found in the Indian subcontinent of Asia. They belong to the family Viperidae. They have a flat, triangular head, blunt raised snout, and large nostrils. They do not stay in dense forests but stay in lighter areas with too much food.

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They are nocturnal animals and their hiss can be heard from far when they feel threatened. When the weather is cold, they become more active during the day. They like to bask in the sun during the day.

They are carnivores and they mostly feed on rodents and small reptiles such as land crabs, scorpions, and other arthropods. The males mate with females then the females carry the pregnancy to birth. They become independent at birth.

What is King Cobra?

 

King cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world. They have oval-shaped heads, olive green in color, and have 1-2 fangs. It measures up to 20m long. When confronted they can lift their head up to the third of their body off the ground then move forward to attack.

They produce a lot of venoms of which contain a high amount of toxin. They eat other snakes and to some extent they may also eat their fellow cobras. They are the only snakes that build nests for their eggs.

The male mate with the female then they go on their own. The females incubate the eggs up to the time they hatch. The young ones become independent the moment they are hatched and are able to catch small prey for themselves such as rodents and also have already developed venom glands.

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Main Difference between Rattlesnake, Russel Viper, and King Cobra

  1. Rattlesnake and Russel viper belong to the family Viperidae while king cobra belongs to the family Elipidae.
  2. Rattlesnakes and Russel viper feed on small mammals and rodents while king cobra feed on other snakes.
  3. Rattlesnakes and Russel viper are terrestrial animals while king cobra is a semiaquatic animal.
  4. Rattlesnake and Russel viper are nocturnal animals while king cobra is a diurnal animal.
  5. Rattlesnake and Russel viper produce venom in a small amount while king cobra produces venom in a large quantity.
  6. Rattlesnakes and Russel viper are ovoviviparous (the eggs are fertilized inside the female’s body until they give birth) while king cobra lay eggs and hatch to young ones.

Similarities between Rattlesnake, Russel Viper, and King Cobra

  1. They are both reptiles.
  2. They are both carnivores.
  3. They both use fangs to inject venom into their prey.
  4. They both give rise to young ones.

In Conclusion

Rattlesnakes, Russel viper, and king cobra are all the dangerous snakes in the world. They both produce venom which when injected into the human body it may cause death. Rattlesnake and Russel viper are ovoviviparous animals while king cobra, a male mate with a female then they go on their own as the female remains to incubate the eggs until they hatch. The main feature that makes rattlesnake, Russel viper, and king cobra be different is the amount of venom produced.

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