The king cobra mystery that has baffled scientists for 188 years has finally been solved

The mighty king cobra – the longest venomous snake in the world – is actually four different species, scientists have confirmed in a new study.

For 188 years, the king cobra has been represented by a single species: Ophiophagus hannah. But this widespread species shows vast differences in body color and other physical features in different regions, leading scientists to wonder whether it is a single species.

In a study published in 2021scientists confirmed genetic differences between king cobra populations. Building on this research, scientists have now compared the physical differences in museum specimens and identified four separate species: the northern king cobra (Oh Hannah), the Sunda king cobra (Ophiophagus bungarus), the Western Ghats king cobra (Ophiophagus kaalinga) and the Luzon king cobra (Ophiophagus salvatana). The findings were published on October 16 in the European Journal of Taxonomy.

“I feel like we created history,” studies author Gowri Shankar Pogirifounder of the Kalinga Foundation and director of the Kalinga Center for Rainforest Ecology, Mongabay said.

King cobras live in humid environments, including open forests and dense mangrove swamps, from northern India to southern India China and throughout Southeast Asia. In these regions, their appearance varies in body color, pattern and size.

In the 2021 study, a DNA analysis accounted for nearly the entire range of king cobras identified four different genetic lines. These lineages were classified as confirmed candidate species – species that have yet to be formally described and named.

Building on this research, the new study looked at the physical differences between 153 museum specimens. An analysis of the specimens’ body morphology, including their color patterns, body widths and dental features, led the researchers to identify four species that match the genetic lineages found in the 2021 study.

The Northern king cobra (Oh Hannah) is widespread across the sub-Himalayas, eastern India, Myanmar and Indochina, and extends south to the narrowest part of the Thailand peninsula, in Kra Isthmus. Adults have dark-edged yellow bands and between 18 and 21 teeth.

King cobra snake species, O. hannah with extended neck.

Ophiophagus hannah head and neck are almost bandless with spotted, dark-edged bands running along the body. (Image credit: P Gowri Shankar)

The Sunda king cobra (O. bungarus) lives in the Malay Peninsula and the islands of the Greater Sundas – including Sumatra, Borneo and Java – as well as Mindoro in the Philippines. Large individuals of this species are usually unbanded or have narrow, pale bands with dark edges along the body.

King cobra snake species, O. bangarus.

Ophiophagus bungarus are large species that are usually barless or have narrow, pale bands with dark edges. (Image credit: P Gowri Shankar)

The Western Ghats king cobra (O. Kaalinga) is restricted to the Western Ghats of the Indian peninsula. This species differs from O. bungarus in that it has no dark edges around the pale bands along its body.

Low camera angle of the king cobra snake species O. kaalinga.

Ophiophagus kaalinga is striped but has no darker edges. (Image credit: P Gowri Shankar)

Like O. Kaalingathe Luzon king cobra (O. salvatana) inhabits Luzon, an island in the northern Philippines. It has extremely angular, pale body bands compared to the bands of the three other species.

Close-up of king cobra snake species, O. salvatana.

Ophiophagus salvatana very pale body bands compared to the other three species. (Image credit: jazz)

All these species are poisonous. King cobras are among the most poisonous snakes in the world and in a single bite releases a large dose of venom that can kill a human in just 15 minutes. The new study shares that this could be the first step in developing an improved antidote Ophiophage bites in their respective regions.

Pogiri thinks there may be more unknown king cobra species yet to be discovered on small islands that were not part of this study. “The study of it is already underway,” he said.