Research from specimens has revealed that scientists have identified four distinct species of king cobras, rather than just one as previously thought.
The king cobra, the longest venomous snake in the world, is actually comprised of four separate species, according to a new study conducted by scientists from India, England, and Malaysia, published in the European Journal of Taxonomy on October 16.
For the past 188 years, the king cobra has been represented by a single species, Ophiophagus hannah. However, this widely distributed species shows significant differences in body color and various morphological characteristics across regions, leading scientists to question whether it is a single species.
The mighty king cobra is actually a group of four species. (Photo: Getty).
In 2021, a study confirmed the genetic differences among populations of king cobras. Based on this research, scientists compared morphological differences in 153 museum specimens. The analysis of the body morphology of these specimens, including color, body width, and dental characteristics, helped them identify four species corresponding to the genetic lines found in the 2021 study.
The four identified species of king cobra are: Northern king cobra (O. hannah), Sunda king cobra (O. bungarus), Western Ghats king cobra (O. kaalinga), and Luzon king cobra (O. salvatana).
- Northern king cobra (O. hannah) is widely distributed throughout the Lesser Himalayas, eastern India, Myanmar, and Indochina, extending south to the Kra Isthmus, the narrowest part of the Thai Peninsula. Adults have yellow bands edged in black and possess 18 to 21 teeth.
- Sunda king cobra (O. bungarus) inhabits the Malay Peninsula and the islands of the Greater Sunda Islands, including Sumatra, Borneo, and Java, as well as Mindoro in the Philippines. Individuals of this species typically have no bands or narrow, light bands with a black edge along their bodies.
- Western Ghats king cobra (O. kaalinga) is found only in the Western Ghats of the Indian Peninsula. This species differs from O. bungarus in that it lacks the black edging around the light bands along its body.
- Similar to O. kaalinga, Luzon king cobra (O. salvatana) resides in Luzon, an island in the northern Philippines. It has extremely angular light bands on its body compared to the bands of the other three species.
All of these species are venomous. The king cobra is one of the most venomous snakes in the world. A single bite can deliver a large amount of venom, enough to kill a person in just 15 minutes. This study may be the first step in developing more effective antivenom for king cobra bites in their respective regions.
The study’s author, Gowri Shankar Pogiri, founder of the Kalinga Foundation and director of the Kalinga Rainforest Ecology Center, noted that there may still be many king cobra species yet to be discovered on small islands not included in this study. “Research on them is ongoing,” he said.
