The king cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world and one of the longest-lived. They can live up to 20 years. Cobras’ venom, although not as toxic as other snakes’ venom, is strong enough to kill an elephant. They don’t use the venom to hunt for food, though—they only bite when they’re threatened. King cobras mainly eat other snakes or small mammals like rats and mice, which they swallow whole. They have really good eyesight and hunt by day. Their skin is black, greenish, or brown with white or yellow bars that are normally more distinct when the snakes are young. King cobras are also one of the few snakes that build nests, lay eggs, and wait until the babies hatch. The father cobra, though, is the one that takes care of the twenty to forty eggs; he patrols a wide area around the nest, searching for possible threats. Cobras can stand and move in an upright posture—sometimes reaching as high as six feet. Most of the time that’s enough to send predators running!