Fascinating This King Cobra Creates an Elaborate Nest  Into The Wild India   Smithsonian Channel - video Dailymotion

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00:00 (birds chirping)

00:02 Nearly three months have passed

00:04 since Nagaina mated with the village male.

00:06 It's now the end of May,

00:10 and she'll soon be ready to lay.

00:13 Most species of snake seek out a cavity

00:18 or an abandoned burrow in which to lay their eggs,

00:21 but not Nagaina.

00:28 King cobras are the only snakes that build a nest.

00:31 It's a unique skill,

00:34 but allows Nagaina to select the perfect spot

00:39 to give her young the greatest chance of survival.

00:42 On a slope near the base of a tree,

00:46 her nest is shaded from the hot sun.

00:49 But more importantly,

00:52 it won't get waterlogged by the monsoon rain.

00:56 (leaves rustling)

00:58 She's been hard at work for more than a week now.

01:01 Coiling her body,

01:04 she steadily amasses fallen leaves and twigs,

01:07 drawing them together into a pile.

01:10 It's a delicate process

01:17 that could take a couple of weeks to complete.

01:19 (birds chirping)

01:26 (gentle music)

01:28 The rustling leaves attract attention.

01:33 A rat snake,

01:36 on the lookout for rodents rummaging in the undergrowth.

01:39 Approaching the lair of a snake killer

01:47 is a dangerous mistake.

01:48 (gentle music)

01:51 But with an abdomen full of eggs,

01:57 Nagaina has zero appetite.

02:00 She has only one thing on her mind.

02:08 At last, the nest is ready.

02:18 More than a foot high and three feet wide,

02:21 it's a masterpiece of engineering.

02:23 Inside, Nagaina creates a small chamber

02:30 in which she lays a clutch of up to 40 eggs.

02:33 Once covered with more leaves,

02:41 the chamber will stay at an almost constant 80 degrees

02:45 and 90% humidity for the next three months.

02:48 Her work complete, Nagaina stands guard,

02:57 a queen on her throne.

02:59 She won't budge until her babies are ready to hatch.

03:05 The mongoose and wild boar that roam this forest

03:09 would love to feast on her eggs.

03:11 (gentle music)

03:14 But they'd be foolish to try.

03:18 Nothing is going to challenge this mother

03:25 when it comes to her babies.

03:27 (Nagaina crying)

03:32 (upbeat music)

03:34 (upbeat music)

Fascinating This King Cobra Creates an Elaborate Nest Into The Wild India Smithsonian Channel

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