King Cobra Fact Sheet

Common Name: King Cobra / hamadryad

Scientific Name: Ophiaphagus hannah

Wild Status: Vulnerable

Habitat: Dense Highland forests, not too far from lakes and streams

Country: India, and throughout Southeast Asia

Shelter: Animal burrows, rock formations, and underneath fallen trees

Life Span: Roughly 20 years

Size: 10 - 13 feet long on average, the largest individual measured 19 feet

Details

The King Cobra is a very venomous snake, found in forests throughout India and Southeast Asia. Although the King Cobra tends to avoid confrontation with humans, it is the longest venomous snake in the world - reaching an average length of 10 to 13 feet. Their diet can include rodents and lizards like many snakes, however they primarily feed on other snakes. While many snakes exhibit sexual dimorphism, where the females are larger than males, the King Cobra has it reversed - the males reach larger sizes than females. A strong predator, the King Cobra uses its forked tongue to pick up smells, combined with strong eyesight and sensitivity to vibrations to track prey. King Cobras are very well known snakes because of their history being involved with snake charmers and mythology.

Cool Facts

• The scientific name "Ophiophagus" is a Greek word that means "snake eater", as the King Cobras diet consists heavily of other snakes. • The King Cobra hisses at a much lower frequency than other snakes, leading many to call its sounds a growl instead of a hiss. • They have a very venomous bite that can be fatal within as early as 30 minutes after injection. • The aggressiveness of the King Cobra is something many experts believe to be exaggerated. When confronted with a predator, most King Cobras will quickly try and escape, and usually become highly aggressive only if they are continuously provoked. • The Secretary Bird and Mongoose are two of the main predators of the King Cobra - the Mongoose being especially scary for this species as they have a resistance to the neurotoxins in the Cobra's venom.

Taxonomic Breakdown

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Elapidae Genus: Ophiophagus Species: O. hannah

Conservation & Helping

Currently the King Cobra is listed as Vulnerable on the Endangered Species List. Threats to the species include habitat destruction, as well as harvesting the animal for meat and skin. In India the King Cobra is under the Wildlife Protection act, and someone found guilty of killing the snake can receive years in prison as punishment.

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