Adaptations
An expandable hood makes the front of the body appear larger during a warning display. Keen vision, chemical sampling with a forked tongue, flexible jaws, and venom delivered through fixed front fangs support the search for elongated reptile prey.
Behavior and daily life
A king cobra usually attempts to avoid people, raising its body and spreading the hood when escape or warning does not resolve a threat. Adults range through forested landscapes, and females collect leaf litter to form unusual two-level nest mounds.
Conservation
Current profile labelVulnerable under the traditional broad assessment
Deforestation, road mortality, persecution, and collection affect populations across the range. Changing taxonomy means conservation status should be checked for the relevant region or newly recognized species rather than copied from the former broad grouping.
The king cobra is the only snake known to build a nest for its eggs, gathering vegetation into a mound that the female guards for much of incubation.
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