King cobra

What it looks like: King cobras are either olive-green, tan or black in colour. They have a pale underside and are covered in smooth scales. 

Animal facts:

• The world's longest venomous snake.
• When threatened they display a narrow hood.
• A king cobra, like other snakes, receives chemical information via its forked tongue.
• They subdue prey with massive quantities of neurotoxic venom.
• King cobras are an egg laying species. They construct a nest out of rotting vegetation into which they lay up to 50 eggs.

What they eat: They primarily eat other snakes, as well as lizards and rodents.

Habitat: This species is found in a variety of habitats, primarily in pristine forests, but it can also be found in degraded forest, mangrove swamps and even agricultural areas with remnants of woodland.

Where they live: They can be found from India through Southeast Asia.

Threats: Habitat loss.

Average length: 18.5ft to 18.8ft