The king cobra is one of the largest snakes in the world, with a head roughly the size of a computer mouse. Its most recognizable attribute is the hood surrounding its head. When confronted, the snake can flatten its neck, ribs and muscles to give its head added width and a more intimidating appearance to enemies. The neck also has false eye spots that can be seen when its hood is extended, according to Animal Corner. The purpose of the false eye spots is to deter predators from attacking, as it makes the snake appear even larger than it is.
The king cobra has shiny scales that may be yellow, green, brown, or black. Its throat is usually a cream color. Younger cobras have bars -- usually black, white or yellow -- that run across their bodies. The king cobra's back scales are smaller than its front scales, which typically run straight down in a column. Its back is typically darker than its front.
The king cobra has a pointed tail that is thinner than the rest of its body. Its tail is not like that of a rattler, which is hollow, brittle and created from keratin, allowing it to make a rattle sound. Rather, the king cobra's tail is simply a smaller extension of its body. In terms of body size, the cobra is one of the largest snake species -- its full girth can reach the size of a human's forearm, according to the website Sjonhauser.com. Reaching up to 18 feet in length, king cobras are the longest poisonous snakes in the world.
The king cobra has beady, black eyes -- not to be confused with the larger false eyes on its hood. It has round, black pupils, with a scalera (exterior of the pupil) that is brown. The eyes are not very large overall, though they can see distances upward of 300 feet. The snake primarily uses its forked tongue to detect prey. It has two fangs roughly half an inch in length, used to inject venom into its prey or in defense. King cobras have acidic venom that they can spit at victims through their fangs as well.