How long do king cobras live?

King cobra is the most venomous and most dangerous snake in the world. However, it is a type of snake that does not attack unless it is provoked or attacked first.

King cobras lifespan

How long do king cobras live in the wild?

When it comes to the king cobra lifespan, these snakes can live between 15 and 20 years in the wild.

How long do king cobras live in captivity?

In captivity they can live several years longer, because they will be away from the dangers and stresses of the wilderness. They are very popular animals in the zoos, where they can live for a few decades.

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Where do king cobras live?

King cobra's natural habitat is around large bodies of water, such as streams, swamps and lakes. They can be usually found living in very dense forests, mostly in countries like China, Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam and India, and everywhere else in Southeast Asia.

 

Interestingly, killing a king cobra is considered illegal in the country of India and is punishable with 6 years imprisonment.

What do king cobras eat?

They usually hunt other snakes and smaller animals. They usually hunt their prey during daytime, and rarely go out at night.

How much do king cobras measure?

King cobras can grow very long up to 18 feet in length. They are very thin snakes and have a great ability to rise up a few feet high in the air while moving forward.

How much do king cobras weigh?

The king cobras typically weigh about 13 lb.

King cobras reproduction and life cycle

King cobras are the only snakes in the world that build nests for their baby snakes. Female king cobras are very protective of their cobra eggs until they get born. As soon as they are out of the eggs they can defend themselves.

They are born with the toxic venom which is transferred from their mothers. Both female and male king cobras reach full sexual maturity between 5 and 6 years since they are born. During her lifetime, a female king cobra can have over hundred babies.

The mating ritual usually happens once a year and she can lay up to 50 eggs with every impregnation.

Amazing facts about king cobras

Very intelligent animals

King cobra has a very good sight and they are very intelligent animals. They can see and focus on their prey even from three hundred feet away. It is also believed that they have an extraordinary memory, and that they remember faces of killers of other king cobras.

Very powerful neurotoxins

They usually hunt other snakes and smaller animals, and have very powerful neurotoxins inside them. Just one bite from the king cobra is enough to kill a large elephant, and one bite is also enough powerful to kill as many as 30 people at once.

King cobra bite

Before they attack they look at their opponents and start with scary hissing. After they bite their prey, king cobra swallows it all and its toxins help in the digestion process. Their jaws are very flexible, and its lower jawbones can move independently from the upper ones.

Today, only a couple of types of anti-venom exist for treating intoxications and bites from King cobras. One type of anti-venom is produced in Thailand, and the other one is produced in India.

King cobra skin color

King cobra skin is usually black or olive-green, and they have yellow cross bands on their bodies.