Wild and Kind Kids Podcast

The King Cobra

• Wild and Kind Kids • Season 1 • Episode 27

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0:00 | 20:23

Deep in the forests of India and Southeast Asia lives one of the most famous snakes on Earth: the king cobra.

This is also the home of a very confused group of animals who are convinced that a king cobra is building something mysterious.

A throne? Perhaps.

A trap? Maybe.

A castle? Well … probably not.

When a king cobra begins carrying leaves and twigs to a clearing in the forest, a langur, an Indian giant squirrel, and a hornbill become determined to solve the mystery. But the truth turns out to be far more surprising—and far more heartwarming—than any of them imagined.

Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they explore the fascinating world of the king cobra.

Kids will discover:

  • How king cobras create their famous hoods
  • Why king cobras can sometimes look grown-ups right in the eye
  • How king cobras use venom and powerful warning displays to protect themselves

Keep exploring:

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

SPEAKER_00

Welcome to Wild and Kind Kids, y'all. Who's ready to be fierce? Me. As we get started today, I want you to imagine that you're walking through a forest when suddenly you come face to face with something that makes you very, very nervous. And your only option is to make yourself look as big, tough, and scary as possible. Alright, when I say go, I want you to show me your fiercest pose. Ready? Go. All right, Lincoln is showing me some teeth. We've got claws here. Lizie looks giant. She's standing on her tiptoe. Whoa. Okay, let's stop now. We looked pretty intimidating over here, but today's animal has a trick that might be even better. Let's get learning. I'm Carrie, and I grew up on a zoo.

SPEAKER_02

I'm Lincoln. I'm Eliza. And we're the world about animals.

SPEAKER_00

Welcome to the Wild and Kind Kids Podcast. Hi, Lincoln and Eliza.

SPEAKER_01

Hi, Mom.

SPEAKER_00

Are you ready to get royal? Because today's creature is straight up critter royalty. It was suggested by my friend Levi. Yes, Levi loves snakes. So we decided to do the most majestic of them all. The King Cobra.

SPEAKER_03

Hi, Levi! I hope you're having a good summer.

SPEAKER_00

The King Cobra is the longest venomous snake on Earth. It slithers through forests and swamps across India and Southeast Asia. And the longest one that people have ever seen was as long as a giraffe is tall.

SPEAKER_01

What?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, some king cobras can stretch more than 18 feet long. That's a lot of snake. But most are around 10 to 13 feet, which is kind of like the height of a one-story house. They can be olive green, brown, tan, or deep black, depending on where they live, often with pale stripes that stretch across their bodies. Now, baby king cobras are especially eye-catching. They have these shiny black scales and bright yellow bands. Now put all that together with a snake that's extremely long, and we've got a creature that is pretty hard to ignore. But there is one part of a king cobra's appearance that is especially famous. In fact, it is probably the thing that most people think about when they hear the word cobra. But you know what? I think I'll let you guys explain this. Lincoln and Eliza hit me with some cobra facts.

SPEAKER_03

When a king cobra gets scared, it can turn its neck into a big hood.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, and this is what most people think about when they think about the cobra. They have this hood that can spread wide when they want to appear bigger and more fierce, just like we did at the start. Now the hood isn't a separate body part. King cobras have long ribs near the front of their body that can spread outward. So let's imagine you're carrying an umbrella. When it's closed, it doesn't take up much space, but when you push it open, whoosh, those metal bars expand and it suddenly looks much bigger. A king cobra's hood works a little bit like that. When those ribs spread out, the loose skin stretches into that famous cobra hood. But most of the time, the ribs stay folded and the hood is barely noticeable. Okay, tell me another one, guys.

SPEAKER_03

A king cobra can lift itself up so high it can stare a grown-up right in the face.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. So now, y'all, we're talking about a super long snake with a hood that can stare you straight in the eye. When threatened, king cobras can raise up to a third of their body off the ground. That means that a large king cobra may lift themselves several feet into the air. This makes them one of the few snakes that can meet a standing person's gaze. Now they aren't trying to challenge humans, and they're actually not trying to dance despite what people tell us. They're usually trying to convince a threat to back away. Which honestly, y'all, I would definitely do in this circumstance. Okay, give me another fact.

SPEAKER_03

When king cobras make noise, it sounds like a growl.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. We think about snakes having these high-pitched hisses, and most do, but king cobras produce a much deeper warning sound. Some people describe it sounding more like a growl than a hiss. Let's just listen. The sound comes from air moving through their windpipe. It's another way of saying, please leave me alone. Okay, maybe one more fact.

SPEAKER_03

King cobras are venomous.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. So now we have a super long snake with a hood that can stare you in the eye, and oh yeah, it has venom. So before we go any further, quick refresher. What is the difference between venom and poison?

SPEAKER_03

Um, venom has to be injected into you, and poison is something you touch or lick or something like that.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. A helpful way to think about it, if it bites you and you get sick, it's venomous. If you bite it and get sick, it's poisonous. Now, king cobras use venom to catch their prey and to defend themselves. And get this, it is so powerful, it could take down an elephant. Their fangs are about a half inch long, kind of like a section of your finger. They're short because they're stuck in the roof of their mouth. And those fangs help inject venom to stop a prey from moving, so it's easier to eat. Scientists actually study this to design pain relievers for humans. Now, those fangs also help food move to the back of their mouth. The fangs point towards the back of their throat, so they can almost walk over food and push it further back into their mouth. Now, before we move on, because we're talking about eating, does anyone know what animal likes to eat the king cobra?

SPEAKER_03

The mongoose.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, but not much else wants to take on a king cobra. I can see why they call it the king. Are you guys ready to meet one up close? It's time for our story of the day. Deep in the misty forests of India's western ghats, something very strange was unfolding. High among the trees, three curious friends were watching with growing confusion. An Indian giant squirrel, a hornbill with a huge yellow beak, and a mischievous langer monkey. Very strange, said the langer, as he swung onto a branch. Extremely strange, agreed the squirrel, flicking her fluffy tail.

SPEAKER_03

Not strange at all, said the hornbill.

SPEAKER_00

The squirrel blinked.

SPEAKER_03

You don't even know what we're talking about. Of course I do.

SPEAKER_00

Then what is it? The hornbill cleared his throat. Something that is not strange. The squirrel groaned. The langer pointed toward the forest floor. There, look. Moving silently between the trees was a king cobra. Usually, when the animals saw the king cobra, they made haste to get out of the way. No one wanted to cross a king cobra. But this week something odd was unfolding with this king cobra. The animals watched carefully. In her mouth was a leaf. Just one leaf. The cobra carried it to a small clearing and dropped it on the ground where other leaves waited. Then she just slithered away. The animals stared. The squirrel tilted her head.

SPEAKER_03

That snake just carry another leaf?

SPEAKER_00

The langer nodded. Suspicious. The hornbill puffed out his chest.

SPEAKER_03

I know exactly what's happening. You do? Certainly.

SPEAKER_00

The hornbill lowered his voice dramatically.

SPEAKER_03

She's building a throne.

SPEAKER_00

A throne?

SPEAKER_03

Naturally, she is a king cobra.

SPEAKER_00

The squirrel considered this. That actually sounds possible. The cobra returned. Another leaf. Then another. Then another. Soon the smattering of leaves started to resemble a little pile. The squirrel gasped.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, it's not a foam. It isn't? No, it's a castle. A leaf castle? A very fancy leaf castle. The hornbill nodded. That's what I meant.

SPEAKER_00

The langer crossed his arms. I still think it's suspicious. For three days the King Cobra worked. Back and forth, back and forth, leaf after leaf, twig after twig. The pile grew larger. The theories grew stranger. It's obviously a trap. A trap for what? The squirrel glanced around nervously. Us The Hornbill nodded. Obviously. The other animals gulped and kept watching. The day after that.

SPEAKER_03

It's a fortress.

SPEAKER_00

What's a fortress?

SPEAKER_03

A place where scary kings plan scary things.

SPEAKER_00

The hornbill nodded. Obviously. Only a nearby sambar deer seemed uncertain. The deer had been quietly listening the whole time. Maybe she said gently. We could just ask her. The other animals froze. Ask her?

SPEAKER_01

The King Cobra?

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely not. The deer nodded but said no more. A few days later, dark clouds rolled over the forest. The wind began to howl. The Langer peered into the sky. I don't like that. The squirrel flattened her ears.

SPEAKER_03

I really don't like that.

SPEAKER_00

Then the rain came. Sheets of rain. Buckets of rain. The kind of rain that turns paths into streams and streams into rivers. The animals rushed for shelter. The hornbill squeezed beneath the rocky ledge. The squirrel darted into a hollow tree. The langer huddled beneath thick branches. All night long, the storm rumbled through the forest. Rain pounded the trees, wind tugged at branches, and between the gusts of wind, the animals watched, as in the clearing, the king cobra stayed exactly where she was, right by her leaves. The next morning, the storm passed. The animals cautiously emerged. Together, they hurried to the clearing. The leaf pile had been battered by the wind. Some of the leaves had shifted, and now the animals could see what had been hiding beneath them. The squirrel crept closer.

SPEAKER_03

I don't see a frown.

SPEAKER_00

I don't see a castle.

SPEAKER_03

I do not see a trap.

SPEAKER_00

What they saw were eggs. A whole nest of eggs. The squirrel's eyes grew wide. Oh the langer blinked. Oh. Even the hornbill was speechless for nearly three whole seconds. Then the deer smiled softly. It isn't a throne. The squirrel shook her head. It isn't a castle. The langer looked down at the nest. It isn't suspicious. The deer watched as the king cobra gently curled her long body around the eggs. Not like a queen protecting treasure, not like a guard protecting a fortress. Like a mother protecting her babies. The forest grew quiet, and suddenly everything made sense. The leaves, the twigs, the long days of work. But the king cobra hadn't been building something for herself. She hadn't been building something threatening. She had been building something for her family. The King Cobra glanced up at the visiting animals. For just a moment, she seemed to notice them watching. And if the squirrel told the story later, which she definitely did, she would insist that in that moment the king cobra gave them a tiny wink. And then the great snake settled back around her eggs. But the squirrel smiled.

SPEAKER_03

I guess they got that long.

SPEAKER_00

A little, admitted the langer. The hornbill puffed out his chest.

SPEAKER_03

I knew it all along. Did you?

SPEAKER_02

Not even close.

SPEAKER_00

The hornbill thought for a moment, and then he nodded. Fine. The others waited.

SPEAKER_03

But are we absolutely sure she wasn't building a fortress?

SPEAKER_00

Everybody groaned. Alright, y'all. A band of curious creatures unpacking a cobra mystery might be story magic. But a king cobra building a nest? That's real animal science, y'all. In fact, king cobras are the only snakes known to build true nests for their eggs. When it's time to become a mom, a female king cobra gathers leaves, twigs, and other forest debris into a big pile. There, she lays her eggs and often stays nearby to guard them. And just like in our story, those leaves are not for her. They're for her babies.

SPEAKER_03

They are hatch helpers.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, hatch helpers are anything that help baby animals grow safely inside an egg. Because as they grow, they can be vulnerable. As the leaves break down, they also create a little bit of warmth. They may help keep the eggs warm while the babies develop inside. Scientists call this process of keeping eggs warm incubation. Pretty clever, right? Before we go, it's time for your mission. This week's mission is to give snakes some space. In our story, the squirrel, Langer, and Hornbill all made guesses about the King Cobra without even knowing her. They thought she was building a castle, a throne, a fortress. But they didn't understand what was really happening until they slowed down and paid attention. And as people, we often do the same thing with snakes. Because snakes look scary, some people assume that they're mean or looking for trouble. But most snakes, including king cobras, would much rather avoid a fight than start one. Remember how we all tried to look bigger and scarier at the start of the episode? King cobras do that too. But just like us, looking scary doesn't mean you're looking for a fight. Many of the things that snakes do, hissing, spreading a hood, rattling a tail, or making themselves look bigger, are defensive behaviors. That's Animal Science Talk for Please Leave Me Alone. So this week, your mission is simple. If you spot a snake outdoors, don't bother it. Don't try to touch it, don't throw anything at it. Just take a step back and give it some space. Then see if you can quietly observe it from a safe distance. Because remember, being wild and kind doesn't mean getting too close. Sometimes being kind means giving an animal the room that it needs to be wild. Thanks, y'all. We'll see you next week. This podcast is produced by John, also known as Lincoln and Eliza's Dad. If you're enjoying these adventures, please subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Leave us a review and tell your friends. Check out the show notes to find a coloring sheet for today's creature. And explore more episodes at wildandkindkids.com. To show us your coloring sheet or request an animal for a future story, contact us at wild and kindkidspod at gmail.com. You can also find us on Instagram at Wild and Kind Kids Pod. Thanks for exploring with us, friends. Until next time.

SPEAKER_03

Keep your hearts kind and your curiosity wild.