West Champaran. In ‘Valmiki’, the only tiger reserve of Bihar, a snake is found which has got the title of the largest poisonous snake on earth. Experts say that the antidote to the poison of this snake has not been discovered yet. The most frightening thing related to this is that this snake prefers to eat other poisonous snakes as food, not rats or frogs. Yes, you are listening right.
This rare snake, found in the dense forests of VTR, hunts other poisonous snakes to fill its stomach. Wildlife experts say that because of this special quality of survival, this snake is called the king of snakes i.e. ‘Nagraj’.
Earth’s largest venomous snake
Abhishek, project manager of Nature Environment and Wildlife Society, who has been working on wildlife for about 26 years, says that Nagraj is called King Cobra in English. This is the largest poisonous snake on earth. Whereas the maximum length of other poisonous snakes in the world is 8 to 10 feet.
Whereas the average length of King Cobra is 14 to 16 feet. Many times their length has been measured up to 20 feet. In Bihar, these snakes are seen only in the dense forests of Valmiki Tiger Reserve located in West Champaran district. Apart from this, they are also seen in the forest areas of South India.
eats poisonous snakes
Experts say that while other snakes fill their stomach by eating rats, frogs and lizards, the King Cobra fills its stomach by eating other poisonous snakes. This is why this species is called ophiophagous. Another specialty of this snake is that like other snakes, it does not live in any hole or narrow places, but like birds, it builds a nest and lives in it.
Along with this, it is the only snake in the world which releases maximum amount of poison while biting. According to Abhishek, up to 420 mg of poison comes out in one bite, which can kill 20 people at a time.
Death is certain in 20 minutes
Nagraj is also known by the name Ahiraj. Neurotoxic poison is mainly found in the fangs of this snake. Apart from this, quantity of cytotoxic and hemotoxic poison is also found in it. Due to the bite of this snake, the nervous system of the person suffering from it starts getting affected. Blood clots start forming in the body.
Due to high blood pressure, the risk of cardiac arrest and brain stroke increases, due to which the victim can die in just 20 minutes. In India, its bites are treated by increasing the doses of antidotes prepared for the Big Four (cobra, krait, rustling viper and saw-scaled viper).
