King cobra Facts for Kids
Ophiophagus hannah · oh-fee-OFF-uh-gus HAN-uh
A very long snake that eats mostly other snakes.
- 🏃 speed: not yet checked
- ⚖️ weight: not yet checked
- 📏 10 to 12 ft3.1 to 3.7 m1 long
- 🎂 17 years17 years1
- 🍽️ meat
- Needs help (Vulnerable)
A king cobra is a very long snake. It lives in the forests of southern Asia. It eats mostly other snakes.
King cobras live near streams in thick forest, bamboo and swamps, from northern India east to southern China. They eat mostly other snakes. A king cobra makes venom, so people leave it alone.
King cobras live in Asia, from northern India east to southern China. They like forest near streams, bamboo thickets and swamps. A king cobra is longer than most grown-ups are tall, and it eats mostly cold-blooded animals, especially other snakes. It makes venom, so people leave it alone. In human care, a king cobra can live for many years.
How big is a king cobra?
King cobra in numbers
| Length | 10 to 12 ft3.1 to 3.7 m1average; up to about 5.5 m; converted from feet |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | no checked number yet |
| Weight | no checked number yet |
| Top speed | no checked number yet |
| How long it lives | 17 years17 years1average; in human care |
| What it eats | mostly other snakes |
| Where it lives | forests, bamboo thickets and swamps near streams, from northern India to southern China |
| What kind | Reptiles |
| Is it in danger? | Needs help (Vulnerable)2 |
A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.
Wow!
- 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.
Compare the king cobra
Friends and neighbours
Black mamba
Green anaconda
Komodo dragonThree questions
Books about the king cobra, free at the library
Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the king cobra for free.
For teachers
Use this animal in class: its facts are on this page, and the cards print from it.
Where these numbers come from
- 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, King cobra (Q48186), checked 30 October 2026.