The King Cobra is a venomous snake native to South-East Asia. They are feared throughout the world due to their killer reputation in movies, documentaries and stories. While this is not a snake to be messed with, their portrayal can be misleading.
An impressive feature of the King Cobra is their ability to raise a third of their body off the floor while continuing to move forward. This effectively means they can raise up and look a man in the eye as they move towards you.
Growing to lengths of up to 18 feet, this is the longest venomous snake in the world. But where does the King Cobra live? In this article, we are going to look at the geographical range and habitat of the King Cobra.
Where does the King Cobra Live?
The King Cobra lives throughout much of South-East Asia and surrounding islands. Their range extends from India and Southern China to countries such as Thailand, Cambodia Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. The King Cobras habitat consists of Rainforests, Bamboo forests and open plains.
Species that have a wide distribution generally live in a wide range of habitats and the King Cobra is no different. The King Cobra lives in dense forests, mangrove forest, coastlines and a wide range of other habitats including the foothills of the Himalayas.
King Cobra Taxonomy
Before we look closer at where King Cobras live, we are going to look at the snake itself. This snake belongs to the Elapid family and is therefore more closely related to other Elapid species such as Death Adders, Copperheads and Coral Snakes as opposed to other types of venomous snake.
The other most common venomous snake family is the Viper family. Some common snakes that fall under this category include Rattlesnakes, Moccasins and Bush Vipers.
In general, Elapids have short fangs in the front of their mouth that do not retract. This is a large family of snake with 56 different genera recognised. There are over 360 species and around 170 sub-species currently recognised. The most common form of venom found in Elapid snakes is neurotoxic venom.
The King Cobra is the only species in the Genus Ophiophagus and its scientific name is Ophiophagus Hannah. When it was originally described in 1836, the King Cobra was classified under the Naja genus (Cobras) along side common cobra species such as the Mozambique Spitting Cobra and the Indian Cobra.
However, after genetic analysis it was found that the King Cobra actually comes from the same ancient genetic lineage as Mambas as opposed to cobras.
So precisely where does the King Cobra live
As mentioned earlier, the King Cobra has a wide distribution across much of South-East Asia. They can be found in Countries such as India, Nepal, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Where do King Cobras live in India
The King Cobra lives throughout much of North-Eastern India. They can be found from the Himachal Pradesh region in the North and as far South as the Northern portion of the Andhra Pradesh region. Their range extends inland towards the Maharashtra region.
There is also a separate population of King Cobra that live in the Western Ghats region of India. These King Cobras can be found from the Mumbai region as far South as the Kerala region.
The Agumbe Rainforest in Karnataka and Periyar National Park in Kerala are among the King Cobras favourite places to live in the Western Ghats. The Periyar National Park is home to 30 different species of snake including the Malabar Pit Viper and Striped Coral Snake.
The Sundarbans National Park in West Bengal is a great place to find King Cobras in Eastern India. Not only do King Cobras live here, but it is also the largest reserve in India for Bengal Tigers. Some other notable reptiles that can be found here include the Burmese Python and the Indian Rock Python.
The Kaziranga National Park in Assam is also home to the King. This reserve boasts the largest population of Indian One-Horned Rhinoceroses. While King Cobras live here, the region is also home to other impressive large snakes such as the Reticulated Python and the Indian Rock Python.
Where do King Cobras live in Thailand
King Cobras live in a range of different habitats and can be found throughout Thailand. Forested areas seem to be their preferred habitat in Thailand with many specimens found in evergreen forests.
However, King Cobras live in other habitats also and have a particular likeness for areas with water such as lakes and streams. They are often found in areas where Rat Snakes are common, as this is their preferred source of food.
King Cobras are starting to live closer to humans as the human population is extending into the snake’s range. King Cobras now live on agricultural land and have even been found residing in people’s homes.