There are many factors that we have to consider in such a battle. We’ll show you how this fight would go and why. Before we start, you should never attack a venomous snake unless there is no other course of action left for you. Your best bet is to simply leave the area since most snakes aren’t too keen on chasing down a person.
Comparing an Unarmed Human and a King Cobra
What Are the Key Factors in a Fight Between an Unarmed Human and a King Cobra?
The most important factors in a battle between an unarmed human and a king cobra are a combination of five elements: size, speed, attack methods, predatory instincts, and defenses. We need to explore each of these factors in the context of both creatures. By understanding what each animal brings to the fight, we can determine which of them has an advantage in a given area. Using all that information and the advantages of each contender will allow us to figure out which animal is most likely to win the bout!
Unarmed Human vs. King Cobra: Size
The average unarmed human is much larger than a king cobra. The average person weighs between 130 and 199 pounds and stands between 5 feet 3 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall. Meanwhile, the king cobra grows between 10 and 19 feet long, can stand about 2 feet high when it pulls its head and body off the ground, and weighs between 10 and 20 pounds. A human has a size advantage, and their size may save them in this fight.
Unarmed Human vs. King Cobra: Speed
The average human is faster than a king cobra on land. A king cobra can slither at about 5 mph over short distances. The average human can walk at 3 mph and run up to 8 mph. Yet, the fastest person alive can run at speeds of 27.5 mph, but only during a sprint. All in all, humans have the speed advantage in this fight.
Unarmed Human vs. King Cobra: Defenses
King cobras are large snakes, even longer than some constrictors. That large body helps them absorb damage but also makes it hard to defend attackers coming from the rear. Still, king cobras have great hunting senses that can help detect threats before they arrive. They also have a scary threat display that will make most people and animals turn and run. Aside from that, they can hide in tall grass and surprisingly small spots. Without weapons or tools, humans are a little helpless when it comes to defenses. Certainly, the average person is smart enough to get out of harm’s way or to use the terrain to their advantage. Yet, our bodies are riddled with weak spots such as the eyes and exposed neck. King cobras have the defensive advantage in this fight.
Unarmed Human vs. King Cobra: Offensive Capabilities
King cobras have the potential to be incredibly deadly to humans, but they don’t often attack larger animals that they can’t consume. Still, they can bite and inject up to 1,000 mg of venom, enough to kill 11 people! Their long fangs can penetrate deeply into tissue, getting past humans’ thin skin. The neurotoxic venom these snakes generate can cause symptoms like dizziness, loss of coordination, unconsciousness, and death in as few as 15 minutes. Humans aren’t all that strong, and they’re not all that great offensively without the aid of tools and weapons. An unarmed human can bite, kick, grapple, strangle, and punch enemies. However, humans are rarely as strong as wild animals. King cobras have the offensive advantage in this fight.
Unarmed Human vs. King Cobra: Predatory Behavior
King cobras are ambush predators that strike from hidden places or actively hunt their prey. They strike quickly, inject venom, and consume their prey whole. Humans can attack in many ways, but their best bet is to use an ambush attack against another creature. If that’s not possible, they’ll rely on their wits. They’ll find an opening, wear down their prey, and use some form of attack to lay them low. With weapons, though, humans can attack in various ways that would make them successful in this fight. As it is, though, the person has nothing on them but the clothes on their back. King cobras have a predatory advantage over an unarmed human.
Who Would Win a Fight Between an Unarmed Human and a King Cobra?
An unarmed human could beat a king cobra in a fight. Several factors come into play in this case. Humans are large, smart creatures that king cobras don’t want to fight. Basically, the justification for a human winning this fight is that the hesitancy of king cobras to bite humans and waste their venom on something that they can’t consume would give the human an advantage. Also, we have to consider what constitutes a “win” for this fight. In this case, being the last one standing is a win. A skilled or lucky human can kill a king cobra and live. You can find videos of people carefully approaching and collecting king cobras with just their bare hands. There’s no doubt that this would be difficult and dangerous. Also, the act of attacking the snake would probably result in the person getting bitten since they’re not trained. Nevertheless, the goal is to get the snake by the last third of its body and wait for an opportune moment, such as when the snake instinctively starts to flee, to get control of its head. If a person can get control of the snake’s head, the fight is over. The person can replace their hand with their heel and then kill it. The more likely outcome is that a human gets bitten and decides to take the snake out with it. If a human being was bitten by the king cobra and knew that they weren’t going to live for much longer, they could take the direct path of overwhelming the snake to kill it. They could gain control of the snake’s body and smash its head into the ground, stomp on it, or employ other grisly methods. By no means is this an easy thing to do. The human would probably get bitten in this scenario, but king cobras can issue dry bites, so the person might live. Remember that we said the unarmed human could kill a king cobra. It’s not likely that they will escape without injury or death, though.
Up Next:
Could an Unarmed Human Beat a Grizzly Bear?Could an Unarmed Human Beat a Gorilla?Could an Unarmed Human Beat an Alligator?Could an Unarmed Human Beat a Bald Eagle?
