page_title: King cobra
section_title: Cultural significance
hierarchical_section_title: King cobra / Cultural significance
caption_attribution_description: English: Cobra-stone is also known as snake gem, cobra pearl or Nagamani, not the snake stone. The term "cobra stone" is often used for a type of fluorite called chlorophane. Its connection to snakes is purely mythological; it is a mineral.
context_page_description: The king cobra, also known as the hamadryad, is a venomous snake species in the family Elapidae, endemic to forests from India through Southeast Asia. It is threatened by habitat destruction and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2010.
  It is the world's longest venomous snake. Adult king cobras are 3.18 to 4 m long. The longest known individual measured 5.85 m. It is the sole member of the genus Ophiophagus. It preys chiefly on other snakes and occasionally on some other vertebrates, such as lizards and rodents. It is a highly venomous and dangerous snake when agitated or provoked that has a fearsome reputation in its range, although it is typically shy and avoids confrontation with humans when possible.
  The king cobra is a prominent symbol in the mythology and folk traditions of India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. It is the national reptile of India.
context_section_description: A ritual in Myanmar involves a king cobra and a female snake charmer. The charmer is a priestess who is usually tattooed with three pictograms and kisses the snake on the top of its head at the end of the ritual.
  Members of the Pakokku clan tattoo themselves with ink mixed with cobra venom on their upper bodies in a weekly inoculation that potentially might protect them from the snake, though no scientific evidence supports this.
  Cobra stones or pearls are believed by tantrikas to develop from the cobra's hood.
caption: Cobra stone or gem or pearl
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