The king cobra is one of the most venomous snakes on the planet. They can reach 18 feet in length, making them the longest of all venomous snakes.

The amount of neurotoxin they can deliver in a single bite - up to two-tenths of a fluid ounce - is enough to kill 20 people, or even an elephant. King cobra venom affects the respiratory centres in the brain, causing respiratory arrest and cardiac failure.

King cobras live mainly in the rain forests and plains of India, southern China, and Southeast Asia, and their colouring can vary greatly from region to region. They are comfortable in a variety of habitats, including forests, bamboo thickets, mangrove swamps, high-altitude grasslands, and in rivers.

This species feeds mainly on other snakes, venomous and nonvenomous. They will also eat lizards, eggs, and small mammals. They are the only snakes in the world that build nests for their eggs, which they guard ferociously until the hatchlings emerge.

In Vietnam, the king cobra is a protected species. Protected areas within this snake’s geographic range likely provide some safeguards, and organizations like the King Cobra Conservancy work to better understand the behaviours of the species in order to educate the public and protect the snake’s habitat. The Indian government implants microchips in captive king cobras to allow officials to identify any snakes that have newly been taken captive, which has been outlawed, in order to reduce the illegal wildlife trade.

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