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NARRATOR: Morning turns to afternoon.
As the hours tick by, Nagaina still lies in wait.
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Finally, the spectacle cobra unfurls from its hiding place,
cautiously ventures down.
It seems about to make good its escape,
but then pauses for a drink.
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Nagaina makes her move.
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This time, the spectacle cobra must stand and fight.
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Glaring its hood and displaying its aggressive markings,
the smaller snake tries to exaggerate its size.
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But it is totally outmatched.
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Nagaina won't relent.
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Both have powerful venom.
But Nagaina's armor is thicker, and she's immune to the venom
of snakes on which she preys.
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The odds are stacked in their favor.
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She strikes and delivers a fatal bite.
The large dose of injected poison works quickly.
It's a neurotoxin, causing paralysis, suffocation,
and death in minutes.
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The spectacle cobra tries to twist its way free.
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But Nagaina has too strong a grip.
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She begins to eat, swallowing her prey whole and still alive.
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Inch by inch, Nagaina's fangs draw her victims' body down her
throat, all four feet of it.
A meal this size would typically satisfy her for up to a month.
But this one will have to stretch quite a bit longer.
She won't eat again until she's laid her eggs
and incubated them through to hatching, which means no more
hunting for several months.