AJP went for a walk up Tai Mo Shan four days ago. He saw this snake in the grass from a long way away because its scales were reflecting the early morning sunlight. The temperature on Tai Mo Shan had been 14ºC during the night and the snake was probably warming up. He approached with caution until about 15 metres away and took the photographs. He estimated the length to be around 2.5 metres or 8 feet. The snake sensed his presence and then slithered off into a bush. AJP walked in the opposite direction, leaving the world’s largest venomous snake in peace. This was a good spot because the King Cobra is one of Hong Kong’s least common snakes. The largest recorded in Hong Kong was 4 metres.
King Cobras (Ophiophagus hannah) are diurnal, fast and agile In fact they resemble in movement the mambas of Africa with which they have a common ancestor and to which they are more closely related than the ‘true’ cobras. They largely prey on other snakes but will take mammals and birds.
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