"This particular cobra was older and larger than the mamba," Charlotte Arthun explains over on the Marabata blog. "While the mamba put up a fight, continually striking at the cobra, the cobra won the battle with its superior size and strength, eventually eating the mamba."
It is no doubt that king cobras do occasionally consume large prey such as monitor lizards or even pythons. One cannot but wonder how the snake is able to make dynamic decisions and evaluate the risks and gains of pursuing prey such as a rock python, which can potentially kill the cobra by constricting it.
What predator would even try to attack a cobra? The snake's biggest enemy is the mongoose, which is quick enough to dart in and bite the back of the cobra's neck before the snake can defend itself.
Unfortunately, in the end, the python's power was no match for the cobra's venom. “It would kill the python pretty quickly,” Sheehy says. “Probably within 30 minutes, they could both be dead.”
Mongoose
Mongooses are noted for their audacious attacks on highly venomous snakes, such as king cobras. The mongoose is a snake-killer by nature. These small mammals have some immunity to cobra venom, so they are one of the most successful animals that hunt cobra.
An anaconda would win a fight against a king cobra. This outcome assumes that both of these creatures met in an open area that doesn't allow an ambush to happen.
The saw-scaled viper, Echis carinatus, is considered the deadliest snake in the world, according to Britannica. This type of snake is said to be responsible for "more human deaths than all other snake species combined." The venom of the saw-scaled viper is not as lethal as other snakes, but it is far more aggressive.
The main predator to the king cobra is the mongoose because the mongoose is immune to its venom. However, mongooses rarely attack king cobras unless they have to. Venom from a king cobra can kill a human in around 45 minutes.
Large birds, wild boars, mongooses, raccoons, foxes, coyotes and even other snakes are a few of the dangers snakes fall prey to. Many people find it surprising that the largest and the scariest snakes can be afraid of anything, but it is true.
Predation. Adult mambas have few natural predators aside from birds of prey. Brown snake eagles are verified predators of adult black mambas, of up to at least 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in). Other eagles known to hunt or at least consume grown black mambas include tawny eagles and martial eagles.
A new study suggests that king snakes are, pound for pound, the strongest constrictors in the world.
A crocodile would win a fight against a king cobra.
If the king cobra bites the alligator first, it may not have an impact. The crocodile's skin is very thick. While the king cobra has fangs that measure 0.5″ inches, that might not be enough to deliver the venom into the crocodiles' system.
Predators. The species' known predators include birds of prey and feral cats.
Use Natural Predators
Snakes have a few natural predators that can help keep them away. Common snake predators include cats, raccoons, pigs, turkeys, guinea hens, and foxes. Keeping any of these animals around your home will help deter snakes from coming near.
Guinea hens, turkeys, pigs, and cats will also help keep snakes away. If foxes are indigenous to your area, fox urine is a very good natural repellent for snakes when spread around your property.
Their venom is not the most potent among venomous snakes, but the amount of neurotoxin they can deliver in a single bite—up to two-tenths of a fluid ounce—is enough to kill 20 people, or even an elephant. King cobra venom affects the respiratory centers in the brain, causing respiratory arrest and cardiac failure.
Even if both animals started the fight without an ambush, the lion would still win this battle. The king cobra would probably rear up and wait for the lion to get close enough to lunge. The snake has the agility, but a single bite isn't going to kill the lion that quick.
"Most snakebites, even cobra bites, are not fatal." Whitaker said. "But any snakebite must be treated as a medical emergency. "The single most important thing to do is to get to a hospital without any delay.
The black mamba, for example, injects up to 12 times the lethal dose for humans in each bite and may bite as many as 12 times in a single attack. This mamba has the fastest-acting venom of any snake, but humans are much larger than its usual prey so it still takes 20 minutes for you to die.
Introducing the most venomous snake in the world and epic predator of the Australian outback! The inland taipan is otherwise known as the fierce snake or small scaled snake.
A king cobra would win a fight against a taipan. The taipan has much deadlier venom, but that's not going to save it against the great amount of experience that king cobras have in attacking snakes. Neither snake lives in the same area of the world and they're from different families.
Their most remarkable type of prey, however, is other snakes! California Kingsnakes are “kings” because they hunt and devour various snake species, including other kingsnakes and even rattlesnakes – they are immune to rattlesnake venom!
The king cobra is the largest snake in the world and the Komodo dragon is the largest lizard. Both reptiles have very different styles of attacking prey. A Komodo dragon would overpower a king cobra in a fight.
Except no one told the kingsnake. Kingsnakes squeeze their prey to death, are immune to rattlesnake venom and are so named for their astonishing ability to overpower and eat snakes that are much larger than they are.
It's rare for Australian snakes to strike. It's even more uncommon for the fangs to penetrate clothing and the skin.