🐕 African wild dog vs King cobra 🐍
The king cobra is about 3 times as long as the African wild dog.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐕 African wild dog | 🐍 King cobra |
|---|---|---|
| Size The king cobra is about 3 times as long as the African wild dog. | 3.4 to 4.9 ft1.1 to 1.5 m1 | 10 to 12 ft3.1 to 3.7 m2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the king cobra yet. | 34 mph55 km/h1 | no checked number yet |
| Weight We don't have a checked number for the king cobra yet. | 40 to 79 lb18 to 36 kg1 | no checked number yet |
| Lives The king cobra usually lives about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog. | 10 to 11 years10 to 11 years1 | 17 years17 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra | mostly other snakes |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa | forests, bamboo thickets and swamps near streams, from northern India to southern China |
Which one? African wild dog or king cobra
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the king cobra yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed. Our face-off books compare real numbers, and nobody gets hurt.
9 things to know about African wild dog vs King cobra
- The African wild dog: A long-legged, patchy-coated wild dog of the African savanna.
- The king cobra: A very long snake that eats mostly other snakes.
- They are different kinds of animal. The African wild dog is a mammal, so it breathes air with lungs and feeds its babies milk; the king cobra is a reptile, so it has scaly skin.
- The king cobra is about 3 times as long as the African wild dog: 2 against 1.
- The king cobra usually lives about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the king cobra.
- Both eat meat. The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra; the king cobra eats mostly other snakes.
- The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The king cobra lives in forests, bamboo thickets and swamps near streams, from northern India to southern China. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
- The African wild dog: in danger (Endangered on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The king cobra: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🐕 African wild dog
- An African wild dog can run fast in a chase.
- Its coat is a patchwork of colors.
- It lives on the savanna and in open woodland.
🐍 King cobra
- A king cobra eats mostly other snakes.
- It is longer than most grown-ups are tall.
- It lives near streams in forests, bamboo and swamps.
Questions kids ask about African wild dog and King cobra
Which is bigger, African wild dog or king cobra?
The king cobra is about 3 times as long as the African wild dog: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, African wild dog or king cobra?
We only have a checked weight for the African wild dog: 1. Scientists are still working out the other.
Which lives longer, African wild dog or king cobra?
The king cobra usually lives about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the king cobra.
What do African wild dog and king cobra eat?
Both eat meat. The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra; the king cobra eats mostly other snakes.
Where do African wild dog and king cobra live?
The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The king cobra lives in forests, bamboo thickets and swamps near streams, from northern India to southern China. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet.
Who would win, African wild dog or king cobra?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. What we can compare is how big, how heavy, how fast, how long they live and what they eat, as above.
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/african-wild-dog-vs-king-cobra
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Lycaon pictus (African wild dog), checked 10 November 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Ophiophagus hannah (king cobra), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.