NL·0427Herbarium of the Nature Library
- Name
- Ophiophagus hannah
- Family
- Elapidae
- Native to
- South and Southeast Asia; since a 2024 revision, Ophiophagus hannah in the narrow sense covers eastern Pakistan, northern and eastern India, the Andaman Islands, Myanmar and Indochina south to central Thailand, with the king cobras of the Western Ghats, the Sunda region and Luzon assigned to related species
- Habitat
- Tropical rainforest, Bamboo thicket, Mangrove, Plantations
King cobra
Ophiophagus hannah
Also calledRāj nāg (Hindi) · Karunagam / Rājanāgam (Tamil) · Ular tedung selar (Malay) · Ngu chong ang (Thai) · Yǎnjìng wáng shé 眼镜王蛇 (Chinese) · Rắn hổ chúa (Vietnamese)
The world's longest venomous snake, up to about 5.5 m, and a hunter that eats mainly other snakes. Females are the only snakes known to build nests, piling leaves into a mound and guarding the eggs.
The king cobra is a species complex of snakes endemic to Asia. With an average length of 3.18 to 4 m and a record length of 5.85 m (19.2 ft), it is the world's longest venomous snake and among the heaviest. Under the genus Ophiophagus, it is not phylogenetically a true cobra despite its common name and some resemblance. Spanning from the Indian subcontinent through Southeastern Asia to Southern China, the king cobra is widely distributed albeit not commonly seen. Wikipedia
What it can do
- iRears up to about a third of its body length and spreads a narrow hood when threatened
- iiMakes a low growl-like hiss with air pushed through its windpipe
- iiiInjects large volumes of neurotoxic venom, enough to kill an elephant
- ivHunts other snakes, including venomous ones, following their scent
In the field
Field marks
- aVery long, olive to brown snake with pale bands
- bLarge head with big scales on top
- cRaises the front part of its body and spreads a narrow hood
- dPale yellowish throat
- Voice
- Can give a low growling hiss
- Not to be confused with
- Rat snakes and other large non-venomous snakes look similar; never try to tell them apart up close. Spectacled and monocled cobras are smaller with marked hoods. Never approach on foot; back away and alert local snake rescuers.
- When
- Resident
Listen
Looking for field recordings…
Life & habits
- Diet
- Mostly snakes (rat snakes, pythons, cobras, kraits); occasionally lizards
- Habitat
- Forests, mangroves and plantations near streams
- Size
- Usually 3–4 m; record about 5.5–5.85 m; 6–12 kg
- Lifespan
- ~20 years
Females stay with their nest of 20–40 eggs for weeks, but leave just before hatching, possibly so they won't eat their young.
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
—
geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Native range
South and Southeast Asia; since a 2024 revision, Ophiophagus hannah in the narrow sense covers eastern Pakistan, northern and eastern India, the Andaman Islands, Myanmar and Indochina south to central Thailand, with the king cobras of the Western Ghats, the Sunda region and Luzon assigned to related species
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the old herbals & bestiaries
No plate in the Source Library names this exact species, so these show its closest relatives as the old naturalists drew them: same genus, or the same kind of animal. Click a plate to read the page it came from, with translation.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Ophiophagus hannah in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
Marginalia
Cobras, the nāgas of Hindu and Buddhist tradition, are worshipped on Nag Panchami. In Burma and Thailand, snake charmers perform with king cobras, and in some rituals women kiss the snake's head.
Curiosity
Its genus name Ophiophagus means 'snake-eater'.
Kinship
Fact-checked: 1 correction made to this sheet. Photographs: iNaturalist contributors under the licences shown. Records: GBIF.org. Historical plates: Source Library (CC BY-SA 4.0; originals public domain). Summary text: Nature Library editors and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Medicinal and edibility notes are historical and educational, not advice. iNaturalist taxon 30472.