TEMPO Interactive, Washington-Scientists have solved the riddle of the mechanism of widening the usual neck cobra snake shown this type of self-defense.
By measuring the electrical activity of muscles, the researchers found that muscle groups are used by cobra snakes to raise and widen the neck.
"This defensive action is one of the puzzle in biology," said Kenneth Kardong, Washington State University professor who participated in this study.
He explained this to widen the neck, cobra deploy eight ribs and neck muscles. "We want to know how to utilize the cobra ribs, so the head and neck to be thin and wide," says Kardong.
To answer that question, the researchers measured electrical activity of all muscles in the neck of the cobra. Measurements carried out by planting some mini electrodes into the cobra's neck muscles.
Bruce Young of the University of Massachusetts Lowell who took part in the study, said electrodes transplant surgery is the most dangerous stage. "This operation is performed in the head and the snake at any time could come out of anesthesia," said Young.
Once the operation is completed, the cobra is disposed of and all activities in the neck muscles could be monitored.
Experts later found the eight muscles used for thinning and expanding the cobra's neck.
Young said the cobra was not the only kinds of snakes that use this mechanism to defend themselves.
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