One of the 7 cobras on WAnimals
Reptiles · Squamata · Elapidae
Ophiophagus hannah
At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.
It is the only snake known to build a nest above ground level, made of leaves and sticks whose decay generates the heat needed to incubate the eggs.
Weight
5 kg – 6.8 kg
Size
3.2 m – 4 m
Life expectancy
20 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
AI-generated images: illustrations, not photographs.
Sources consulted: Thai National Parks · Better Planet Education · Dimensions.com · JungleDragon · A-Z Animals · Pets on Mom.com · The Animal Facts · AnAge (genomics.senescence.info) · Wikipedia (King cobra)
Best time: From January to April in southern and South-East Asia, during the breeding season, when the female builds a nest of leaf litter, something unique among snakes.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 57.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with King Cobra — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The king cobra is classified as vulnerable. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 10 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about king cobra.
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
