The king cobra has a long name: Ophiophagus. It means snake-eater. The name fits. King cobras mostly eat other snakes.

King cobras live from northern India east to southern China. They live south through the Malay Peninsula. They live in western Indonesia and the Philippines. They are active during the day.

King cobras eat snakes such as Asian rat snakes. They eat pythons up to about 10 feet long. Some king cobras prefer one kind of snake. They refuse to eat any other.

In the wild, a king cobra lives about 20 years.

A king cobra is usually about 10 to 12 feet long. Some reach 18 feet. It weighs up to about 20 pounds. It can raise the front of its body upright to see over bushes and tall grass.

A young king cobra is jet black with yellow or white bands. A full-grown one is yellow, green, brown or black. Its hiss is low. It sounds like a dog's growl.

A king cobra can spread a hood on its neck, and the hood makes it look bigger. It also has better eyesight than most snakes.

King cobras usually breed from January through April. The king cobra is the only snake that builds a nest for its eggs. The mother pulls leaves and plants into a pile with her body.

A female lays about 21 to 40 eggs. The eggs sit in the nest through spring and summer. They hatch in the fall. The mother stays on top of the nest to guard them.

Words to know

• Ophiophagus: snake-eater
• upright: straight up
• hood: neck flap
• hatch: come out