King Cobra

The king cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world, native to forests across South and Southeast Asia and parts of India, capable of reaching lengths of up to five and a half metres. It is olive, brown or black in color with a distinctive hood that it flares when threatened, and unlike true cobras it belongs to its own separate genus, feeding almost exclusively on other snakes, including venomous species, which gives it its common name. King cobras are unusual among snakes for building a nest of leaves and vegetation in which the female guards her eggs until they hatch, a rare instance of parental care among reptiles. Its venom is not the most potent among venomous snakes, but the very large quantity it can deliver in a single bite makes an untreated bite extremely dangerous, and the species is considered vulnerable due to habitat loss and persecution.