ナショナルジオグラフィックさんのインスタグラム写真 - (ナショナルジオグラフィックInstagram)「Photo by @mattiasklumofficial / The forest cobra is native to central and western Africa. It's the largest true cobra species, with a length up to 3.1 meters (10 feet). (I've also photographed the king cobra, which is much bigger but is the sole member of its own genus.) The forest cobra (and the king cobra) is a capable swimmer and is often considered to be semiaquatic. My team and I searched in lowland forests and moist savanna habitats for this beautiful species during an assignment in Cameroon—and eventually got lucky! It's a fast snake and it has a reputation of being hyper-alert and sometimes nervous. With that and a strong venom, it's considered very dangerous. Bites to humans are less common than with other African cobras but still a life-threatening emergency. Ironically the lethal characteristics of snake venom make it so valuable and sought after for use in medicinal treatments. The toxic components of snake venom have, for example, led to the development of medicine against heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. With a bit of luck, the forest cobra may soon combat heart disease and not affect the wild populations of this species at all. #protectbiodiversity #medicine #cobra #africa #forestcobra」11月25日 16時39分