Snakes are fearsome predators, and few animals dare to “play around” with this cold-blooded animal. In the opposite direction, the mongoose, despite its relatively small size, is the “opposite” of all snakes, no matter how strong their venom is.
In a video shared on social networks, an extremely fierce battle between a golden mongoose can be seen against a dangerous opponent, the king cobra.
The mongoose is the more active one, as they constantly rush in with their attacks. And the cobra seems to be quite bewildered, when half wants to fight, half wants to run away. However, it also delivered many fatal bites towards the mongoose, leaving the animal in tatters and shaking.
The mongoose makes full use of its speed to continuously move to dodge attacks, while waiting for the snake to open, then grab the neck and squeeze it with its teeth.
After a while of fighting, both animals fell into a state of exhaustion. The cobra is almost motionless, lying with its head on the ground. The mongoose is barely able to walk, with its hind legs almost paralyzed.
The golden mongoose is a member of the mongoose family, weighing on average 0.45 kg, 50 cm long.
Despite their small size, in fact, carnivorous mongooses, known as opportunistic and excellent predators, are capable of provoking their prey with their good hearing and foresight. so they feed quite easily and grab their prey quickly thanks to their sharp teeth.
Their favorite prey are termites, grasshoppers, crickets… but can also be rodents such as mice, rabbits, or small birds. They are also capable of hunting other carnivores such as jackals and venomous snakes.
In particular, the most special in mongoose is probably the ability to be immune to the poison of snakes, especially cobras, which helps them confidently hunt these species. It is known that the poisons of many snake venoms, including cobras, work by binding to the victim’s acetylcholine receptors, blocking communication between the nervous system and muscles, leaving the victim fell into a state of paralysis.
In 1995, however, molecular biologist Sara Fuchs and her colleagues discovered that the acetylcholine receptor in mongooses is similar to that of the snake itself, but slightly mutated so that the venom is single. simply do not interact with muscle cells.
Besides, the thick coat and incredible speed of the mongoose are also extremely useful in “one-on-one” battles.
