Geography
The king cobra is fond of living near streams and swamps. It will also spend time in farmers' fields and in areas where bamboo thrives. A denizen of rain forests in much of its range, it can be found in countries such as India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. China's southern provinces have a population of king cobras and the reptile is also found in the Philippines as well.
Identification
The coloration of a king cobra depends on its habitat. Some can be a light olive shade, while others will be blackish-brown. Other king cobras may possess white, tan or yellow bands about their bodies. The belly of a king cobra will be a dull yellow and have what seem to be bars as markings on it. The king cobra has a "hood" that it can create on its head by extending the cervical neck ribs outward, which in turn spreads the loose flap of skin to form this feature. King cobras average 12 to 15 feet in length, but specimens up to 18 feet long are not uncommon.
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