AnimalsThe king cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world. It feeds mainly on other snakes. When threatened it lifts the front of its body off the ground, spreads a narrow hood and growls. It is the only snake that builds a nest for its eggs.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Ophiophagus hannah
- Group
- Reptiles
- Diet
- Carnivore (eats other animals)
- Lives in
- India and South-East Asia
- Habitat
- Forests, often near streams
- A young one is called
- hatchling
- A group is called
- no special name
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Reptilia
- Order Squamata
- Family Elapidae
- Genus Ophiophagus
- Species Ophiophagus hannah
Other members of the family Elapidae on this site: Indian cobra.
More distant relatives in the order Squamata: common house gecko, Indian python, Komodo dragon, veiled chameleon.
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The king cobra is listed as Vulnerable. The species faces a high risk of extinction in the wild.
This is the IUCN Red List category as recorded in Wikidata on 11 November 2026. The IUCN Red List itself is the authority and may carry a newer assessment. What the categories mean.