🐍 Black mamba vs King cobra 🐍
The king cobra is about one and a half times as long as the black mamba.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐍 Black mamba | 🐍 King cobra |
|---|---|---|
| Size The king cobra is about one and a half times as long as the black mamba. | 7.2 to 8.9 ft2.2 to 2.7 m1 | 10 to 12 ft3.1 to 3.7 m2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the king cobra yet. | 12 mph20 km/h1 | no checked number yet |
| Weight Neither has a checked number yet. | no checked number yet | no checked number yet |
| Lives The king cobra usually lives about one and a half times as long as the black mamba. | 11 years11 years1 | 17 years17 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | small mammals such as rodents, squirrels and hyraxes, and sometimes birds | mostly other snakes |
| Lives in They live in different kinds of places, so they would hardly ever meet. | wooded savanna, rocky hills and river forests in south and east Africa | forests, bamboo thickets and swamps near streams, from northern India to southern China |
Which one? Black mamba 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 Black mamba vs King cobra
- The black mamba: A very long, quick snake of the African savanna.
- The king cobra: A very long snake that eats mostly other snakes.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are reptiles.
- The king cobra is about one and a half times as long as the black mamba: 2 against 1.
- The king cobra usually lives about one and a half times as long as the black mamba. Usual lifespans: 1 for the black mamba and 2 for the king cobra.
- Both eat meat. The black mamba eats small mammals such as rodents, squirrels and hyraxes, and sometimes birds; the king cobra eats mostly other snakes.
- The black mamba lives in wooded savanna, rocky hills and river forests in south and east 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 black mamba: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The king cobra: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🐍 Black mamba
- A black mamba can move quickly across the ground.
- It hides among rocks and fallen trees.
- It eats mostly small mammals.
🐍 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 Black mamba and King cobra
Which is bigger, black mamba or king cobra?
The king cobra is about one and a half times as long as the black mamba: 2 against 1.
Which lives longer, black mamba or king cobra?
The king cobra usually lives about one and a half times as long as the black mamba. Usual lifespans: 1 for the black mamba and 2 for the king cobra.
What do black mamba and king cobra eat?
Both eat meat. The black mamba eats small mammals such as rodents, squirrels and hyraxes, and sometimes birds; the king cobra eats mostly other snakes.
Where do black mamba and king cobra live?
The black mamba lives in wooded savanna, rocky hills and river forests in south and east 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, black mamba 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/black-mamba-vs-king-cobra
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Dendroaspis polylepis (black mamba), 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.