King Cobra: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Skinks, Geckos and Snakes · day 7 of 7

Five facts

1. The king cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world. Adults measure 3.18 to 4 m, and the record is 5.85 m.
2. Its scientific name, Ophiophagus, comes from its habit of eating other snakes.
3. No other snake makes a nest from dry leaves like this one. A nest can be 55 cm tall in the middle and 140 cm wide at the base.
4. Its hiss is so deep that people say it growls. The sound is far lower than other snakes' hisses, close to the pitch of a human voice.
5. It usually avoids people and slips away when disturbed. If alarmed, it rears up, spreads its hood and hisses loudly.

The quiz

1. What record does the king cobra hold?

• Fastest snake on land
• Longest venomous snake (correct)
• Smallest cobra
• Deepest-diving snake

It is the longest venomous snake in the world, up to 5.85 m.

2. What does the name Ophiophagus refer to?

• Its golden eyes
• Its huge hood
• Eating snakes (correct)
• Living in trees

The name comes from its habit of eating other snakes.

3. What does a king cobra build its nest from?

• Dry leaves (correct)
• Mud
• Small stones
• Feathers

It is the only snake known to pile up dry leaf litter into a nest.

4. Why do people say the king cobra growls?

• It shakes its tail like a rattle
• It snaps its jaws together
• It rubs its scales together
• Its hiss is very deep (correct)

Its hiss is much lower-pitched than that of most snakes.

5. What does a king cobra usually do when people disturb it?

• It follows them home
• It slips away (correct)
• It plays dead
• It climbs onto them

Most of the time it keeps away from people and quietly slips off.

More about the King Cobra

Same week

All lessons

Nature documentaries