King Cobra Snake

The natural range for the King cobra snake included a large part of the Indian mainland, and it is also found in Malaysia, the Philippines and south China.

The typical King cobra snake habitat is made up by dense highland forests in south-eastern Asia. The King cobra snake is found of water and is often found near rivers, streams and lakes. In the Indian mountains, King cobra snakes inhabit altitudes up to 2000 metres (6500 feet) above sea level.

The King cobra snake can reach a length of 5.7 meters (18.5 feet) which makes it the longest venomous snake on land. As mentioned above, it can actually lift a third of its body off the ground which means that you can find yourself staring a King cobra snake directly in the eye – or even glance up on it from below! It comes as no surprise that the King cobra snake have reached a legendary status and is feared as well as admired. 

The King cobra snake is not only large and powerful; it is also capable of producing strong neurotic venom. Without medical treatment, up to 75 percent of human victims will die. One drop of King cobra snake venom is less potent than one drop of Common cobra venom, but the King cobra is still highly dangerous to humans since it injects such a large amount of venom compared to other snakes. One King cobra snake bite can contain up to 7 millilitres (0.2 fluid ounces) of venom. This amount is actually enough to cause fatal injuries in 20-30 persons. The King cobra snake is however a shy snake and humans are never considered prey. If given the opportunity, the King cobra snake will try to escape rather than bite a human. 

King cobra snakes can hunt during the day as well as during the night, but since they are more likely to be spotted by humans when they hunt during the day many people erroneously believe the King cobra snake to be a diurnal hunter. The genus to which the King cobra snake belongs is named Ophiophagus, which translates “snake eater”. This is an aptly chosen name, since the King snake cobra feeds chiefly on other snakes. It is famous for attacking large snakes like the python. If it can not find any snakes to eat, it will hunt lizards and other small vertebrates. When a King cobra snake has devoured a really large prey, the energy and nutrition from that prey can sustain the snake for several months thanks to a very slow metabolic rate.