King+Cobra

Phylum: Chordata



**Common Name:** King Cobra **Scientific Name:** Ophiophagus hannah **Class:** Reptilia **Location:** It is found in the Philippines, Malaysia, southern China, Burma, and the Malay Peninsula. **Size:** It averages 3.7 m (12 ft) in length but is known to grow to 5.5 m (18 ft). **Habitat:** Dense jungle and cultivated fields. The King Cobra has a preference of living in areas with lakes and streams as it is an excellent swimmer.

**Living Requirements:** King cobras are at home in woodlands,bamboo thickets, grasslands, swamps and rain forests

**Life Cycle:** Breeding usually takes place in late spring or early summer. After mating the male king cobras return to their own home. The females wait approximately 55 days before they lay their eggs. They lay 10 to 25 eggs in the nest they have made. Offspring are independent as soon as they are born and can capture prey as big as rats.

**Differences:** Male kin﻿g cobras are longer and weigh more than female king cobras, this is very unusual since in most snake species the male is smaller than the female.

**Human Impact:** King cobra populations have dropped in some areas of its range because of the destruction of forest
 * Interesting Facts: **
 * The king cobra is the only snake species to build their nest on the ground - and mind you, they guard their nest quite ferociously, even take on animals as huge as elephants if required.
 * While the cobra species belonging to naja genus will flee when confronted by humans or other animals species, a king cobra will raise one-third of its body in air and attack the predator.
 * The highly toxic king cobra venom can turn out to be a life saving medication at times. In quite a few cases it is used in pain relievers and arthritis medication as well.

** Zookeeper Hannah Jones ** [] [] []