The cobra, one of the most recognizable rock formations in the badlands outside Moab, Utah, has been beheaded after standing tall for 245million years.

The top of the precarious formation crumbled and fell last week. Bureau of Land Management officials say they aren't sure what caused the collapse, but they believe it was a combination of high winds, heavy rain and possibly lightning.

Since the 1990s, the hoodoo has been a popular formation for climbers to scale thanks to its unique shape and relatively low top.

The 'cobra' rock formation was a popular ascent for climbers - thanks to its unusual shape and its relatively low top

No more: Last week the cobra was 'beheaded' when he top of the formation fell off after enduring wind, rain and climbers for 245million years

Officials aren't sure whether the human traffic on the rocks contributed to the collapse.

Climbers in the know say it was only a matter of time before the cobra lost its head.

'It was really a surprise to no one that that tower, at least the cap rock, was going to come off at some point in time,' Lisa Hathaway, a veteran climber, told the Salt Lake Tribune.

On climbing site MountainProject.com, the first comment - from February 2002 - alludes to just how precarious the formation was

'This sick tower gets my vote as "most likely to fall down in the next 10 years". What is holding it up?' wrote user George Bell.

The cobra outlasted Mr Bell's prediction by only two and a half years - a remarkable margin of error considering it has stood for hundreds of millions of years.

Another user on the site wrote: 'Why climb the Cobra? Because it shouldn't still be there.'

The once-majestic rock outcropping - which is located about 20 miles northeast of Moab - now looks like a stump against the desert sky.