King cobra and python snake both are reptiles. They are both the world’s deadliest snakes. King cobra is the longest and venomous of each its venom can kill even an elephant. Python is the longest species of snake living and it can squeeze even a human being within minutes to death.
So, what is the difference between king cobra and python snake? A king cobra is a venomous snake while python is a non-venomous snake.
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Comparison Table (King Cobra vs Python Snake)
| Characteristics | King cobra | Python snake |
| Size | They are comparatively smaller. | They are bigger and longer. |
| How they kill their prey | They kill their prey through their venom which they inject into their bodies. | They kill their prey by constricting them. |
| Longest in Record | The longest king cobra in records was 19.2 feet. | The longest python in records was 25.2 feet. |
| Color | They are light or dark brown, yellow, black, or light green shades. | They are patterned scales from solid brown to light green or yellow. |
| What they feed on | They feed on cold-blooded animals as well as other snakes. | They tend to prey on larger animals like pigs and antelopes. |
| Nest | They make a nest for their eggs. | They do not make nests for their eggs. |
| Movement | They move in waves and this makes them move a little bit fast. | They move slower due to their size. |
| Geographical distribution | They are found in South and Southeast Asia. | They are found in Asia, Australia, and Africa. |
| Iconic image | They expand hood and in an upright posture. | They do not have an iconic image. |
What Is King Cobra?
King cobra is the most dangerous snake because of its venom. When threatened it raises its head up to a third of its body off the ground then moves forward to attack. Its bite is fatal as it bites and injects its venom into its prey’s body which makes it die after a few hours.
The male mates with the female then they go on their own. The female will lay between 10 to 20 eggs and they are hatched in a nest. After hatching the young ones are left on their own as they already have developed venom glands and know how to catch small prey like rats.
King cobra feeds on other snakes and it can also eat other cobras. They swallow the whole pray. They have some strong acids in the stomach which digests the prey.
What Is A Python Snake?
Python is a long and big snake. They may grow up to even 9 meters in length. The size of their bodies makes them move slowly. They move in a rectilinear progression whereby they move forward in a straight line by stiffening their ribs then lifting and pushing their bellies.
They rely on their camouflage, patience, and strength in hunting their prey. They mainly feed on big animals like pigs and antelopes. They kill their prey by constricting them until they die.
The male mates with the females and the females lay eggs and incubate them up to the time they will hatch. They do not build a nest for their eggs like the king cobra. When they are threatened, they do not expand their hood as in other types of snakes.
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Main Differences Between King Cobra and Python Snake
- King cobra is comparatively small while the python snake is bigger and longer.
- King cobra kill their prey by biting them using the fangs and injecting venom in their body and weight for them to die while the python snake constricts its prey until it dies.
- King cobra feed on cold-blooded animals and other snakes while python snakes feed on big animals like pigs and antelopes.
- King cobra move fast as it moves in waves while python snake move slower because of their body size.
- King cobra build a nest for their eggs while the python snake does not build a nest for their eggs.
- King cobra’s color is light or dark brown, yellow, black, or light green shades while python snake has patterned scales from solid brown to light green or yellow.
Similarities Between King Cobra and Python Snake
- They are both reptiles.
- They are both carnivores.
- Both are the largest snakes in the world.
- Both lay eggs.
In Conclusion
King cobra and python snake are the largest world’s snakes. They both are dangerous although they are different from one another. King cobra is comparatively small while the python snake is longer and bigger. King cobra kills its prey by biting using its fangs then injecting venom into the prey’s body for it to die while python constricts its prey until it dies. The main feature that makes king cobra different from the python snake is the venom.
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