IMG_3330-1(W) King Cobra with "red neck" coloration (Ophiophagus hannah)

Location: Malaysia

Previously O.hannah, now O.bungarus.

 

In 2024, a new paper by Das., Shankar., Swamy., Williams., Lalremsanga., Prashanth., Sahoo., Vijayakumar, Höglund., Shanker., Dutta., Ganesh, & Wüster (2024) suggested that King Cobra consists of 4 species.

 

(1) Northern King Cobra (O. hannah),

eastern Pakistan, northern and eastern India, the Andaman Islands, Indo-Burma and Indo-China, south to central Thailand.

 

(2) Sunda king cobra (O. bungarus);

Malay Peninsular, Greater Sunda Islands and parts of the southern Philippines.

 

(3) Western Ghats king cobra (O. kaalinga)- Western Ghats of south-western India and

 

(4) Luzon king cobra (O. salvatana).

island of Luzon in northern Philippines.

 

These distinct genetic lineages are geographically isolated and adapted to specific ecological regions

 

Behavior: King cobras are able to hunt throughout the day, but are rarely seen at night, leading most herpetologists to classify them as a diurnal species.

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