Ophiophagy (Greek ὄφις + φαγία "snake eating") is a specialized form of feeding or alimentary behavior of animals which hunt and eat snakes. There are ophiophagous mammals (such as the skunks and the mongooses), birds (such as snake eagles, the secretarybird, and some hawks), lizards (such as the common collared lizard), and even other snakes, such as the Central and South American mussuranas and the North American common kingsnake. The genus of the venomous king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is named for this habit.
== Ophiophagy in myth and legend ==
The mythic associations of snakes are discussed...