For which one of the following snakes is the diet mainly composed of other snakes?

Answer: (d) King cobra

The king cobra, Ophiophagus hannah (“snake-eater”), feeds mainly on other snakes.

The idea

The king cobra’s scientific name, Ophiophagus, means “snake-eater”. It hunts rat snakes, other cobras, kraits and even small pythons. It is not a true cobra: true cobras belong to a different genus, Naja.

Tracks another snake by scent → Bites and holds → Venom stops the prey → Swallows it head first → May not eat again for weeks

Why the others are wrong

(a) Several kraits mainly eat snakes too; the king cobra is the intended textbook answer.

(b) Russell’s viper mainly eats rodents.

(c) Rattlesnakes (Americas) eat rodents.

The trap

Several kraits mainly eat snakes too; this question intends the king cobra.

Also know

A 2024 study split the king cobra into four species; the one in the Western Ghats was named Ophiophagus kaalinga.