Fangtastic Facts
King Cobra
(Ophiophagus genus)
Holding the record as the longest venomous snake in the world, king cobras can grow to a whopping 5.6 metres in length.
Originally classified as one species (Ophiophagus hannah), the Ophiophagus genus now includes 4 distinct species. They are:
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The Northern king cobra (Ophiophagus Hannah)
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Sunda king cobra (Ophiophagus bungarus)
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Western Ghats king cobra (Ophiophagus kaalinga)
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Luzon king cobra (Ophiophagus salvatana)
The European Journal of Taxonomy published a paper titled, ‘Taxonomic revision of the king cobra Ophiophagus Hannah (Cantor, 1836) species complex (Reptilia: Serpentes: Elapidae), with the description of two new species’, which discusses in depth the differences between the species.
King cobras have better vision than most snakes and can see potential threats from up to 100 metres away. They are notorious for eating other snakes, earning them the genus name Ophiophagus, which means snake-eater in Greek.
Description
Adult king cobras vary in colour and may be dark brown, olive green or almost black. They often have a single-coloured belly which may display bars, and some individuals also display a banded pattern on their body. Their throat is pale yellow or beige. Along their back, they may exhibit light-coloured crossbars or chevrons. They can be distinguished from other cobras by the presence of 11 large scales on the crown of their head.
Juveniles are black and have a contrasting white or yellow crossbar pattern on their body and tail. A crossbar pattern also appears on their head.
King cobras on average, grow to approximately 3-3.6 metres in length, but can reach 5.4 metres.
Important: Colour, markings and overall appearance can vary considerably between individual snakes. Photographs, descriptions and information on this website should not be relied upon to identify a potentially venomous snake. If you encounter a snake, keep your distance and leave identification and removal to trained professionals.
Adult male king cobra (Ophiophagus bungarus). All three images on this page are the same individual snake, showing the colour diversity that occurs at different times of the year. Photography: © Amanda Long
Distribution
The distribution of king cobras varies.
The Sunda king cobra (O. bungarus) occupies the Malay Peninsula, to the Greater Sunda Islands, and the southern Philippines.
The natural range of the Northern king cobra (O. hannah) is eastern Pakistan, northern and eastern India, the Andaman Islands, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Western Ghats king cobras (O. kaalinga) inhabit the Western Ghats mountain range in southwestern India.
The distribution of the Luzon king cobra (O. salvatana) is limited to the island of Luzon in the northern Philippines.
Habitat
King cobras inhabit a variety of tropical and subtropical environments across South and Southeast Asia. Depending on the species and region, they may be found in rainforests, other forest types, bamboo thickets, forested hills and valleys, wetlands, mangroves and areas of human-modified habitat. Their preferred habitats vary between the four recognised species. These snakes are capable climbers and are known to spend almost a fourth of their time in trees or bushes.
The king cobra (Ophiophagus bungarus) has been known to reach lengths of 5.4 metres. Photography: © Amanda Long
Diet
Regardless of the species, the diet of king cobras primarily consists of other snakes. They may eat both venomous and non-venomous species, however, they more often take rat snakes and pythons. They hunt day and night, travelling through villages, fields and forests in search of their next meal. They sometimes consume small mammals and birds.
Reproduction
Female king cobras are protective mothers. They are the only snake known to build nests, which the female guards fiercely. Breeding season varies with region. Up to 50 eggs are laid in the nest, made from fallen leaves and rotten vegetation. Decomposition of the nest material generates heat, which incubates the eggs. The female guards the nest for the next 2-3 months until the babies emerge from the eggs. The father also stays close by.
They can live for around 20 years in the wild.
Behaviour
When threatened, king cobras display a low growling sound that is made by tiny holes in the trachea and is resonated by the lung. They raise their head over 1.2 metres off the ground, flatten their neck hood and may strike rapidly to protect themselves or their nest. Despite their protective nature, king cobras prefer to shy away and be left alone in safety.
Venom
The fangs of king cobras measure approximately 8-10mm in length and deliver large quantities of venom. Scientists have studied their venom and developed pain relievers such as Cobroxin and Nyloxin, which is used to treat severe arthritis.
Predators
Humans are the main threat to king cobras, as they harvest these snakes for food, leather and medicine.
Conservation status
At the time of this writing, the IUCN Red List has not yet updated its taxonomy to reflect the 2024 revision that split the king cobra into four distinct species. The current Red List assessment (2012) still treats Ophiophagus hannah as a single widespread species and lists it as Vulnerable, primarily due to habitat loss and exploitation for the skin trade, meat, and use in traditional medicine.
Fangtastic Fact
King cobras are distinct from other cobra species. They belong to the genus Ophiophagus, rather than Naja, the genus containing the true cobras.
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