It's Cobra Mating Season!

While living in Bangalore, I have encountered a few snakes but mainly from a reasonable distance, thanks to my childhood disciplining, I suppose.

As mid-April arrived, we were in the middle of cobra mating season! During this period, which varies in length according to region, females initiate the mating process by leaving a trail of chemical signals to attract males. The males of most cobra species engage in a courtship dance to impress the females, and usually the largest male emerges victorious amongst the line of suitors. Females lay 12-60 eggs annually and guard them for the 45-80 day incubation period, during which they keep the eggs warm by vibrating their bodies to generate heat until they hatch. Females of the king cobra species, the longest venomous snakes in the world, build a nest out of leaf litter to provide an extra layer of insulation for the eggs. In fact, king cobras are the only snake species to build such a nest. This nest of leaves is tightly constructed to protect the king cobra eggs from heavy rains. Towards the end of the incubation period, the cobra mothers leave the nest, thereby reducing the likelihood that they will accidentally eat their own offspring. Once the young cobras hatch, they try to move as far away from their egg site as possible and avoid becoming prey to their slithering siblings.

Out of the over 200 species of snakes that live in India, 60 are venomous. The four snake species responsible for most of the snakebites in India are the common krait, saw-scaled viper, Indian cobra or spectacled cobra, and Russell's viper.

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