How scientists uncovered a little-known side of king cobra behaviour in Thailand

Two male king cobras meeting during the breeding season may engage in a prolonged contest, using their bodies to wrestle for control rather than relying on the venomous strikes associated with these snakes. The behaviour has long been recognised in accounts of king cobras, yet detailed scientific descriptions have been scarce. In Thailand, observations made during the 2019 breeding season provided researchers with an opportunity to examine these encounters more closely. A paper published in 2025 documented three instances of ritual combat involving the northern king cobra, adding direct and indirect evidence to a part of the species' natural history that had largely rested on anecdotal reports.King cobra combat study documents three encounters in Thailand during 2019According to the Ecology and Evolution study, titled 'Ritualistic male–male combat of the northern king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) in Thailand', published by David Roman Bontrager and colleagues. The team recorded three instances of combat during the 2019 breeding season in Thailand, drawing on both direct observations and indirect evidence.The distinction matters because the behaviour is familiar to people who study sn...