Just by looking at this type of scale, you can easily identify which is the king cobra and which are other cobra species.
The King Cobra (scientific name: Ophiophagus hannah) is named a cobra, but it does not belong to the true cobra genus (Naja), which contains 270 different species; instead, it is the only member of the genus Ophiophagus.
Therefore, there are distinct characteristics between the king cobra and other cobra species such as the Chinese cobra, the Indian cobra, and the Indochinese spitting cobra. By observing these characteristics, you can easily differentiate the king cobra from other cobras.
There are many different species of cobras around the world. (Image: Pinterest).
This is highly significant for snake experts, as they can quickly identify whether it is a king cobra or a common cobra just by glancing at these features. For instance, they might only see the snake’s head protruding from the bushes or a photo showing only the head.
Readers can find more methods to distinguish between king cobras and common cobras here.
This article will provide another distinguishing feature that allows us to identify the head of a king cobra at first glance.
Occipital Scales – The Large Scales on the Top of the Head Exclusive to King Cobras
Occipital scales are the enlarged scales located behind the parietal scales. See the image below:
Types of scales on the snake’s head. (Image: Wiki).
Occipital scales are exclusive to king cobras. (Image: P Gown Shankar).
Occipital scales (the orange scales). (Edited image: Thành Luân)
Thus, to identify a king cobra, snake experts can look at the position of the occipital scales. If the snake has these two large scales, it is indeed a king cobra; if not, it is a common cobra or another snake species.
The head of a rat snake (scientific name: Elaphe carinata) is quite similar to that of a king cobra but lacks occipital scales. (Image: Thành Luân).
In addition to observing the occipital scales, the king cobra also possesses another distinct feature in the head region compared to other cobra species: the cuneate scales.
Specifically, the king cobra does not have cuneate scales located on the lower jaw, while other cobra species do.
Location of cuneate scales. (Image: P Gown Shankar)
Therefore, to distinguish a king cobra, besides observing characteristics like size, neck, and patterns behind the neck when the snake displays its hood, we can also examine these two types of scales for a quick identification.
