King Cobra Snake | Venomous Reptile, Habitat, Facts & Diet

The king cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world. He is known to be fierce and extremely dangerous. The scientific name of the king cobra is Ophiophagus Hannah.

Where does King Cobra live?

King cobras live in Southeast Asia, including parts of India and other countries such as Burma, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. They like to live in forests and near water. They are good swimmers and can move quickly in trees and on land.

How big is the king cobra?

King cobras are usually about 13 feet long, but have been known to grow up to 18 feet long. The color of the king cobra is black, beige or dark green with yellow stripes along the entire length of the body. Cream belly with black stripes.

Is the King Cobra most venomous snake?

The venom of the king cobra is not the most poisonous that this snake secretes, but they are still considered one of the most dangerous snakes due to the amount of venom they can secrete in a single bite. One bite from a king cobra can provide enough venom to kill an elephant or 20 adults.

The Hood

When the king cobra feels threatened, it raises its head off the ground to prepare to strike. The sides of his head will flare out to create a menacing hood. They can also make a rather loud hissing sound almost like a growl.

What does King Cobra eat?

The main food of the king cobra is other snakes. However, it will also eat small mammals and lizards.

Interesting facts about the King Cobra

It is the only snake that builds nests for its eggs. The female will guard the eggs until they hatch.

Snake charmers in Asia often fascinate king cobras. The cobra was hypnotized by the shape and movement of the flute, not the sound.

They live to be about 20 years old. Its conservation status is “least concern”.

The main predator of the king cobra is the mongoose because the mongoose is immune to its venom. However, mongooses rarely attack king cobras unless they are forced to.

The venom of a king cobra can kill a person in about 45 minutes. However, they do not attack unless they feel cornered and only about 5 people die each year from a king cobra bite. They molt four to six times a year.

They are revered in India, where they represent the god Shiva.