King Cobra mystery solved after 188 years! Scientists reveal it’s actually four deadly species

For nearly two centuries, the mighty king cobra revered in folklore and feared in the wild was thought to be a single, monolithic species: Ophiophagus hannah. This fearsome serpent, capable of growing over 18 feet long and delivering a venom potent enough to kill a human in minutes, has captured imaginations across the globe.

But recent scientific evidence has shattered this long-held presumption.The king cobra is not one, but four separate species, according to a landmark paper published in the European Journal of Taxonomy on October 16, 2023. This breakthrough is the culmination of decades of genetic and morphological study, supplanting centuries of taxonomic convention and providing new insight into one of the world's most mysterious reptiles.

King Cobra mystery ends: Scientists officially name 4 distinct species

The origins of this revelation are in a 2021 study that exhaustively analysed DNA throughout the full known distribution range of the king cobra, as reported by Live Science. That genetic study found four distinct lineages, but so far, those lineages have only been designated as "confirmed candidate species," without formal morphological proof and names.To add to that research, scientists consulted 153 museum specimens, studying their body forms, patterned scales, color, dentition, and banding. That combined morphological and genetic method has now resulted in formal classification of four species:

The four King Cobras: A breakdown of the species

1. Northern King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)

2. Sunda King Cobra (Ophiophagus bungarus)

3. Western Ghats King Cobra (Ophiophagus kaalinga)

4. Luzon King Cobra (Ophiophagus salvatana)

King Cobra split sparks race for region-specific antivenoms

According to Live Science, all four of these snakes continue to be among the most venomous reptiles on the planet.

King cobras inject a large amount of very powerful neurotoxic venom per bite, enough to kill a full-grown human being in less than 15 minutes. Previously, antivenoms were produced under the belief that there was only one species present.With the taxonomy being brought up to date, researchers hope this information can greatly enhance region-specific antivenom development and research. Targeted venom profiling can potentially result in safer and more effective antivenoms tailored to the actual snake species found in each region.“This is a huge leap toward understanding how to save lives from bites in different habitats,” said lead author Gowri Shankar Pogiri, founder of the Kalinga Foundation.

Scientists say more King Cobras await discovery

This research could just be the tip of the iceberg. According to Gowri Shankar and his team, published in Live Science, there could be other yet-to-be-discovered king cobra species hiding on other tiny islands throughout Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.

Researchers are already in the field testing whether other local populations are also distinct species.“We’re already studying some of these island groups,” Pogiri told Mongabay. “There’s a high chance we’re just scratching the surface.”

New cobras, new challenges: Conservationists sound the alarm

This discovery has vast implications beyond the lab and the clinic. Species identification is critical for conservation planning, particularly in biodiversity-rich but ecologically threatened regions like the Western Ghats and the Philippines.

Individualized conservation efforts can now be tailored for each newly identified species.Most of these snakes are already under stress from habitat loss, skin and medicinal poaching, as well as human-wildlife conflict. Separating the species could promote some to endangered or critically endangered levels on international conservation platforms.