Humans tend to dub the animals they find most dangerous or dominant as “kings.” That’s how we got the king cobra despite the snake not being a cobra at all. Humans also applied a similar level of logic to the lion and called it the “king of the jungle,” despite the mammal living in savannahs. Imagine that these two kings wandered out of their habitats and met up in the wild to duke it out. Which one would win a fight? We’re going to examine a king cobra vs lion fight and use data to show you who is going to win this battle!
Comparing a King Cobra and a Lion
| King Cobra | Lion | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Weight: 11lbs-20lbs Length: 12ft-19ft | Weight: 264lbs – 550lbs Length: 4.7ft – 8.2ft Height: 3-3.9ft at the shoulder |
| Speed and Movement Type | – 12 mph – Slithering along the ground | – 35 mph |
| Senses | – Uses Jacobson’s organ to sense chemicals in its surroundings. – King cobras can hear a narrow range of low sounds – Good vision | -Amazing sense of sight, especially night vision. – Good sense of smell capable of smelling other lions’ markings. -Great hearing allows them to hear prey miles away. |
| Defenses | – Good camouflage – King cobras can escape by hiding in crevices – Scary threat display wards off attacks | – Stays with pride for safety in numbers – Large size – Can quickly run away from enemies |
| Offensive Capabilities | – Will lift the front of its body several feet from the ground and then strike, allowing it to deliver venom in the vital areas. – Long fangs deliver up to 1000mg of venom – A single bite can kill 11 humans | – Sharp claws can gash foes – Paw strikes can deliver a powerful, staggering blow – Strong biting power can splinter bones and tear prey open. |
| Predatory Behavior | – Ambush predator that lies in wait and attacks other animals and reptiles, including other snakes. | – Endurance predator or ambush predator – Works as a group to take down prey |
Are King Cobras and Lions Natural Enemies?
The separation between their natural habitats makes a wild encounter between these two species unlikely. King Cobras thrive in streams and swamps with dense vegetation throughout southeast Asia. The lion has historically occupied the majority of the African continent as well as portions of southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia.
Because nature has not pitted these two predators against each other, we will have to use the available facts to imagine an outcome.
Where do King Cobras and Lions live?
King cobras live in northern India, east to southern China. This also includes Hong King and Hainan. They have also been known to slither through the Malay Peninsula and east to western Indonesia and the Philippines. They swamps, streams, or open forests.
Nearly all lion species can be found in Africa.
How long do King Cobras and Lions live?
King Cobras have been known to live about 20 years in the wild. The eggs of the king cobra incubate during the summer and spring and hatch in the fall. It is also a possibility that King Cobras mate for life.
Whereas a lion may only live to be about 15 years old if it is a female. Male lions have a much shorter lifespan living to be only about 10 years old.
What Are Key Differences Between a King Cobra and a Lion?
The king of the jungle is a tough customer for many animals.
©iStock.com/Gunther Fraulob
The key differences between a king cobra and a lion are their morphology, size, and method of attack. King cobras are limbless reptiles that use potent venom to subdue enemies and can measure up to 19ft long, and lions are carnivorous mammals that bite prey to death and can measure 8ft long and 550lbs.
These factors highlight the vast disparities that exist between these animals. However, the few points of comparison are not enough to declare a winner. We have to look deeper into each animal to figure out who can kill the other.
What Are the Key Factors in a Fight Between a King Cobra and a Lion?
King cobras have deadly venom that could alter the outcome of this fight.
©mrjo/Shutterstock.com
When considering the outcome of a king cobra vs lion fight, we have to look at typical and specific factors. For example, we need to examine the size, speed, and hunting prowess of the animals, but we also have to think about how the king cobra’s venom would impact the fight.
We’re going to weigh these factors and assign advantages to each creature. By the time we’ve covered these five points of data, we’ll have a good idea of the fight’s winner.
King Cobra vs Lion: Size
Lions are much larger than king cobras, but they are not as long. A lion can weigh 500lbs or more, grow 8.2ft long, and stands 3.9ft at the shoulder. A king cobra will only weigh about 15lbs and can grow up to 19ft long. King cobras are the longest venomous snakes in the world, but they are still small compared to the lion.
The lions have the size advantage in this fight.
King Cobra vs Lion: Speed and Movement
Lions are much faster than king cobras. Lions can run at speeds of 35 mph when they are closing in on their prey.
However, king cobras can only move at around 12 mph at their utmost. Even at that, they have a very fast strike speed that lets them land attacks from a stationary position.
Lions have the speed advantage, but they have slower reflexes than a king cobra.
King Cobra vs Lion: Senses
Lions have incredibly keen hunting senses. They can see very well, hear some animals from miles away, and have a sense of smell that helps them identify when other animals have been around.
Lions’ acute senses, combined with impressive speed, give them the upper hand when it comes to the element of surprise. If the lion cunningly snuck up on a cobra, it would probably be able to ambush it before the snake could react.
Lions have acute senses that aid them in hunting prey.
©The Len/Shutterstock.com
The king cobra is also a very effective hunter due to its senses. They mostly use their tongues and Jacobson’s organ to collect chemical data in the air along with their vision. Although their sense of sight isn’t amazing, they can see animals from about 300 feet away.
Lions have better senses than king cobras.
King Cobra vs Lion: Physical Defenses
The lion uses its speed and size to stay safe from enemies. Also, lions live in groups with others called pride, and these extra lions ward off most foes. The king cobra relies on its camouflage and threat display to ward off most enemies. They can also squeeze into small crevices to hide from larger animals and wait for them to pass.
The lion and king cobra have defenses that are similar in their effectiveness, so this is a tie.
King Cobra vs Lion: Combat Skills
Lions rely on using their long, sharp claws and teeth to kill their foes. They can deliver a bone-crushing bite to a foe and end the fight in a moment. Lions also deliver powerful, staggering smacks with their paws. When hunting, they can go out individually and ambush prey, or they can use endurance hunting to sap and wear down foes with members of their pride.
King cobras are ambush predators, and they only have one method of attack: biting and delivering one of the strongest snake venoms into their prey.
Each of these animals is very effective at killing others, but only the lion is an apex predator of the two.
Who Would Win in a Fight Between a King Cobra and a Lion?
Lions are apex predators that know how to kill all sorts of animals.
©2021 Photography/Shutterstock.com
A lion would win a fight against a king cobra. The lion has many advantages that would help it in this endeavor. For one thing, the lion only needs one bite to completely kill the king cobra. With a running start, it could easily snatch up the snake in its paws and bite its head off before the snake could react.
Even if both animals started the fight without an ambush, the lion would still win this battle. The king cobra would probably rear up and wait for the lion to get close enough to lunge. The snake has the agility, but a single bite isn’t going to kill the lion that quickly.
Humans can last for up to an hour without treatment before the worst symptoms from the venom take place. Lions are much larger than humans, so the venom may take even longer to harm them. Assuming the king cobra doesn’t use a dry bite, the lion is going to realize the threat this snake poses and use its remaining time on Earth to kill it.
Either the lion scores a quick and flawless victory, or the lion kills the cobra and then dies from the bite. The king cobra is not going to bite the lion and then get away without a counterattack.
The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/takeo1775
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