Home › PYQs › Environment › All questions › 1995 · King cobra
UPSC Prelims 1995 · Environment · Species Watch
The only snake that builds a nest is:
- (a) Chain viper
- (b) King Cobra
- (c) Krait
- (d) Saw-scaled viper
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (b) King Cobra
The king cobra is the only snake that builds a nest for its eggs.
The idea
The king cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake, reaching about five metres. It is a snake of dense, wet forest and needs deep leaf litter to build its nest.
Western Ghats → Forests of Odisha and the Eastern Ghats → Himalayan foothills and the North-East → Sundarbans and the Andaman Islands
Why the others are wrong
(c) Kraits lay eggs but don’t build nests.
(d) Saw-scaled vipers give birth to live young.
The trap
The same fact was asked again in 2011.
Also know
It is listed as Vulnerable and is in Schedule I. The rainforest research station at Agumbe in Karnataka is known for its long-term study of king cobras.
🔒 King cobra = only nest-building snake.