The dangerously venomous King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is widely distributed throughout Southeast Asia and east to the Philippines and western Indonesia. In Myanmar, it is known from localities in both Ayeyarwady and Mandalay Divisions (Leviton et al. 2003). In Myanmar, has been found in a variety of habitats (dense forests, mangrove swamps, open country, and disturbed areas in the Ayeyarwady Delta to the dry forests of the central dry zone to coastal rainforest in Tanintharyi. In Assam, it has been recorded from primary forest; in Thailand, it is found in both forests and plantation habitats; and in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, it is reported from foothill jungles, open grasslands, rural areas, and along jungle streams. It is recorded in Sumatra from sea level to 1800 m elevation.(Leviton et al. 2003)
Leviton et al. 2003 (2003) provide a technical description of the King Cobra: Body scales smooth, obliquely arranged, in 17-19 rows on the neck, 15 at midbody. Middorsal (vertebral) row and outer two lateral rows larger than others. Ventrals 240-254; subcaudals 84-104, anterior scutes undivided; juveniles usually dark brown or black with white or yellow crossbars—anteriorly the bars are chevron-shaped but straighten out posteriorly; with age, the light pattern disappears and older adults are uniformly brown although some indication of the light crossbars persists (in Myanmar, the banded pattern persists in adults); tail dark olive to black. Total length recorded to 5500 mm, but individuals rarely exceed 4250 mm; tail length approximately 20% of total length.
