<P> Ophiophagus hannah belongs to the monotypic genus Ophiophagus in the family Elapidae, while most other cobras are members of the genus Naja . They can be distinguished from other cobras by size and hood . King cobras are generally larger than other cobras, and the stripe on the neck is a chevron instead of a double or single eye shape that may be seen in most of the other Asian cobras . Moreover, the hood of the king cobra is narrower and longer . A key to identification, clearly visible on the head, is the presence of a pair of large scales known as occipitals, located at the back of the top of the head . These are behind the usual "nine - plate" arrangement typical of colubrids and elapids, and are unique to the king cobra . </P> <P> The species was first described by the Danish naturalist Theodore Edward Cantor in 1836 . </P> <P> The skin of king cobra is dark olive or brown with black bands and white or yellow crossbands . The head is black with two crossbars near the snout and two behind the eyes . Adult king cobras are 3.18 to 4 m (10.4 to 13.1 ft) long . The longest known individual measured 5.85 m (19.2 ft). Its belly is cream or pale yellow . It has 17 to 19 rows of smooth scales . Ventral scales are uniformly oval shaped . Dorsal scales are placed in an oblique arrangement . Males have 235 to 250 ventral scales, while females have 239 to 265 . The subcaudal scales are single or paired in each row, numbering 83 to 96 in males and 77 to 98 in females . </P> <P> Juveniles are shiny black with narrow yellow bands (can be mistaken for a banded krait, but readily identified with its expandable hood). The head of a mature snake can be quite massive and bulky in appearance, though like all snakes, it can expand its jaws to swallow large prey items . It has proteroglyph dentition, meaning it has two short, fixed fangs in the front of the mouth, which channel venom into the prey like hypodermic needles . The average lifespan of a wild king cobra is about 20 years . </P>

What is the predator of a king cobra