Romulus Whitaker explains why and how the impressive king cobra snake build their nests <\/p>

The female king cobra is the only snake species to build a nest for her eggs. In the Western Ghats of South India, a female starts constructing her nest in the dry month of April, just before the rains arrive in May.<\/p>\n

She chooses a well-drained spot, often below a large tree or a clump of bamboo. She then spends several days gathering leaves into a pile, sweeping them together with her body, and carrying them in a tight coil \u2013 a huge feat which requires enormous amounts of energy.<\/p>\n

When she has enough leaves, she begins compacting the pile into a waterproof chamber by repeatedly crawling over it (a completed nest stands nearly a metre high). She then burrows into the heap to create a cup-like hollow deep within, in which she lays a clutch of anywhere between 15 and 50 leathery eggs.<\/p>\n

Female king cobras often stay on their nests for the entire incubation period of 75\u2013100 days, their mere presence offering excellent protection.<\/span><\/p>\n