Many have heard of the famous king cobra, coming up with rumors about the snake's distribution and species. Some argue that the snake only lives in India; some say that it is the most dangerous cobra in the world. In fact, only part of these understandings are correct, as this article will unveil the mysterious king cobra.

King cobra is not a cobra. It has its own genus, the Ophiophagus, as a genetic analysis in 2016 showed it was an offshoot of the mambas instead of cobras. Hence, saying the king cobra is the most dangerous cobra in the world is not correct.

Despite this, the king cobra's venom and large body size does make it the longest venomous snake in the world. Adult king cobras could reach 3-4 meters, and the longest could be up to 5.85 meters long.

The venom of king cobra is mainly neurotoxins and other compounds. Every time it bites, a large quantity of venom will inject into the victim's body, and harms the central nervous system of the victim. If the victim is a human, he or she can die within 30 minutes. Thus, to say the king cobra is a large, dangerous snake is correct.

King cobra is mostly found in India, this fact caused many people to think that the snake only lives in India. In fact, the snake can be found in areas from southern Asia to southwestern Asia. Its yellow-colored belly and two large scales on the top back of the head make it obvious to recognize and distinguished from the true cobras.

In China, it is distributed in provinces like Hainan, Fujian, Sichuan and Guangdong, commonly seen in forests and near water. Some will sneak in villager's house at night, as the police usually receive several cases reported during summer in Sichuan.

Due to threats of increasing loss of habitat to deforestation and hunting, the king cobra is classified as "Vulnerable" in the IUCN Red List.

China is home to a large variety of snake species, which are an important part of the ecosystem, contributing a lot to maintain the ecological balance of China's environment. This series is going to present you with the endangered and dangerous snakes in China, with introductions of how to recognize them.

(Video via VCG, edited by CGTN's Xu Chenlu)

(All image via VCG, cover designed by CGTN's Jia Jieqiong)

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