Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor, 1836)
King Cobra 眼鏡王蛇
(Highly venomous)
Suborder
Serpentes 蛇亞目
Body of adult tan to almost black, with indistinct yellow bands over entire body length.
Bands become faint or absent in older snakes. Head large, tan-coloured, with obvious black edges to each head shield.
Snout short and blunt. Labials yellow, without black barring, distinguishing it from similar Ptyas mucosus.
Throat and ventral surface of neck yellowish to orange. Hood present on neck and anterior body.
When expanded, the hood is narrower and longer than in Naja atra.
Dorsal surface of hood banded. Ventrals whitish, greyish or tan. Tail long.
Two soild short fangs in the front of upper jaw.
Juvenile shiny black, with up to 65 narrow yellow bands.
Three additional yellow bands across head and snout.
Body and head colour pattern of hatchlings and juveniles gradually fade to the more sombre appearance of adults.
Dangerously venomous because of high dose of potent venom
has caused a few fatalities in Hong Kong.
Juveniles and adults are eqaully deadly.
Regarded by some experts as the world's most dangerous snake.
Occurs in a wide variety of habitats such as grasslands, shrubland, open woodland, forest and occasionally on edges of cultivated areas and mangrove swamps.
Large adults rarely seen in Hong Kong, the largest being a 4-m adult from Tai Po Kau Forest Nature Reserve.
Not a bad-tempered snake and seldom attacks except when guarding its nest;
Frequently sold in snake shops as food and medicinal item.
The female lies in a separate chamber on top of the egg chamber and guards the eggs. Hatchlings some 35 cm long.
Rarer on Hong Kong Island.
Ranges from India to central and southern China, and Southeast Asia.
China Redlist: Critically Endangered
