by Chris D.

Habitat:
The King Cobra is found and Malaysia, India, Africa, China.

Movement:
The King Cobra moves by slithering and sliding.

Protection:
The King Cobra protects itself by biting, and spitting venom. The King Cobra’s venom is called neurotoxin. It hides in trees and under water. It can spray venom from a distance of 2.4m (8 ft.). When the King Cobra is scared or excited it will spread the lose skin on its neck into a "hood." There are false eyespots on the hood, which can scare some predators.


Size/Life Span:
The King Cobra can usually be found between 3.7m (12 ft.) and 5.5m (18 ft.). 5.5m has been the longest recorded.

Covering/Coat:
The King Cobra has scales covering its skin and looks shiny but is dry to touch. Adults are yellow, green, brown, or black; the throat is light yellow or cream-colored.

Food:
The King Cobra eats mice, rats, snakes, lizards, birds, frogs and fish. Like all snakes, they swallow the prey whole, head first. The top and bottom jaws are attached to each other with stretchy ligaments, which let the snake swallow animals wider that itself. Snakes can't chew their prey; food is digested by very strong acids in the snake's stomach. It can go without food for months.
 

Reproduction:
The King Cobra reproduces by laying eggs in
nests made of rotting vegetation. It is the only snake that builds a nest. The baby snake is about a foot and a half  when it is born. They are jet black, with yellow stripes. When they get older, they will become olive brown or gray.

Family: Elapidae
Classified: Oiphiophagus
Indian Cobra: Naja Naja
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Spitting Cobra: Naja Nigricollis
Egyptian Cobra : Naja Haje

 

Here's some links to other pages on King Cobras:

King Cobra - Nat. Geographic King Cobra King Cobra Printout
King Cobra pictures King Cobra King Cobra Snake
King Cobra by Matt Reptile Center The Deadly King Cobra
Here's our other project pages:
Main Wolf by Cassie Red Kangaroo by Jeremy
Elephants by Kaitlin & Rachel Tasmanian Devil by Jas. & Britta Mountain Lion by James
Echidna by Will & Travis Siberian Tiger by Madeline & Shane Connemara Pony by M & M

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Pages and Graphics by Glenda Crew, 22 April, 2001