Animals & Nature
king cobra
reptile
Also known as: Ophiophagus hannah, hamadryad
king cobra, (Ophiophagus hannah), the world’s largest venomous snake, found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia. The snake’s maximum confirmed length is 5.6 metres (18 feet), but most do not exceed 3.6 metres (12 feet). The king cobra is the sole member of its genus. It is classified as part of family Elapidae, the cobra family. Hamadryad, the alternative common name for the snake, is a Greek word meaning “wood nymph.” The main feature that distinguishes the king cobra from other cobras is the possession of 11 large scales on the crown of ...(100 of 486 words)