King Cobra

Overview

The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, found across the forests, bamboo thickets, and mangrove swamps of South and Southeast Asia, from India and southern China to the Philippines and Indonesia. It is unusual among snakes for building and guarding a nest for its eggs, and despite its size and reputation, it is a shy, diurnal hunter that generally avoids humans rather than confronting them.

Appearance

It has an olive-green to black body, often with faint yellow or white crossbands, a distinctive hood formed by elongated neck ribs that flares when threatened, and pale, cream-colored underparts. It can raise roughly a third of its body off the ground when rearing up, bringing it close to eye level with an adult human, and it sheds its smooth, glossy scales regularly as it grows.

Habitat & Distribution

The king cobra is found in rainforest, forest habitats.

Diet & Behavior

Diet: Carnivore — Meat-eating animals that hunt, scavenge, or fish for prey, ranging from big cats to snakes and birds of prey.

King cobras are diurnal, primarily hunting other snakes — including other venomous species — as well as large lizards, relying on keen eyesight and a strong sense of smell through their forked tongue. When threatened, they raise the front of the body, spread their hood, and produce a distinctive low, growl-like hiss unlike the higher-pitched hiss of most other snakes. They are one of the only snake species known to build and actively guard a nest, with the female coiling near her eggs for two to three months until they hatch.

Interesting Facts

• 1

  A single bite can deliver enough venom to kill an elephant.

• 2

  It's the only snake species known to build a nest for its eggs.

• 3

  It primarily preys on other snakes, including venomous species.

• 4

  Its scientific name, Ophiophagus hannah, literally means "snake-eater."

• 5

  When rearing up to defend itself, it can reach roughly a third of its body length off the ground — tall enough to meet an adult human at eye level.

• 6

  It produces a distinctive low, growl-like hiss when threatened, rather than the higher-pitched hiss typical of most other snakes.

Gallery

King Cobra FAQs