[Rob. Smith]

KING COBRAS HATCHING!

7 Feb 2011
The Australian Reptile Park is thrilled to advise that King Cobra eggs started hatching yesterday. The Reptile Park is the only zoo in Australia to import the magnificent King Cobra from Asia and continues its breeding program this week, with two King Cobras born and more hatching today.



The male and female were paired on August 9th last year and following a successful mating, the female laid eggs in early December. The babies are approximately 350mm long at birth and are defensive straight from the egg. They are known to ‘hood up’ and strike at anything that gets close enough to them and their venom, even at this age, could be lethal.

The King Cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world. At their full size the snakes can stand up to a human and look them in the eye, reaching a length of between 3m and 3.5m. The King Cobra is endangered due to habitat destruction and the Reptile Park is the only zoo in Australia to exhibit them. The newborns will be displayed at the Park and used to educate people about the species. The last time King Cobras were born at the Reptile Park was three years ago in January, 2008.
I doubt they'll turn up at Wakefield.