King Cobra

King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is a snake recorded for Vietnam in the project inventory. Its supporting occurrence note is “Expert range list”. The accepted scientific name is retained because regional snake taxonomy and species boundaries can change, while similar-looking species may require scale counts, anatomy or genetic evidence for reliable separation. This profile therefore distinguishes the recorded identity and occurrence from broader biological context instead of inventing unsupported locality, size, diet or breeding details (project species data; Reptile Database taxonomy).

Ophiophagus are large, active elapids specialized in hunting other snakes. They forage through forests and adjoining habitats, use vision and chemical cues to locate prey, and are unusual among snakes because females construct and guard a nest mound for their eggs. Their venom and defensive reach make close encounters dangerous, so observation requires distance. These are general genus-level characteristics rather than a Vietnam-specific field account, and exact measurements, prey lists and nesting dates are not inferred here (general Ophiophagus account; Reptile Database).