In Yunnan, China, two adult cobras were found protecting a mound with 72 eggs inside — a rare glimpse into the reproductive behavior of the world's longest venomous snake.
Here's what to know
Among three nests found between 2020 and 2025, the one discovered on June 6, 2024, in a mixed-forest site west of Kunming drew the most attention. As MoneyControl reported, two adult king cobras were seen at the same site on multiple occasions.
Researchers detailed the observations in Integrative Conservation. They said they provided the first recorded nesting and clutch-size observations for king cobras in China outside southeastern Xizang.
Because the researchers could not identify the sex of the two snakes, it is possible that a single female may have produced an unusually large clutch or that two females may have laid eggs in the same nest.
More background
King cobras stand out among snakes for building nests and staying to guard their eggs. In the observations, nest material included bamboo leaves, twigs, and pine needles, and the size grew to roughly 3.3 feet high and 4.9 feet wide.
Local residents were the first to spot all three nests. Encounters with dangerous wildlife can be likely where human communities and animal habitats overlap — which the BBC detailed in reporting on why wild animals attack humans.
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MoneyControl noted king cobras feature four species. The Ophiophagus hannah population in the study lives in the Pan-Himalayan region, southern China, and much of Indochina, and it is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and as endangered on China's Red List.
What's being done?
The researchers said three nests are too few for concrete conclusions, but they still offer a baseline for future studies of clutch size, nest guarding, and whether multiple females sometimes use the same nest.
For a threatened species, learning where it nests, how long it guards eggs, and when hatchlings emerge can improve monitoring and habitat protection.
The observations hint that some king cobra behaviors may be unknown or more widespread than scientists assume.
Where can I learn more?
These stories cover snake rescues and other striking moments.
• In Florida, Burmese python nests in unexpected places have triggered fear.
• In Odisha, India, a 12-foot king cobra near a bank sent residents into panic.
• Wildlife workers say the king cobra's growl is so deep they mistake it for a tiger's.
• In a stunning clip, a giant king cobra reared to chest height beside an adult.
• In Assam, India, a king cobra beneath a bedroom floor evaded rescuers for two days.
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