In Rudyard Kipling’s “Kaa’s Hunting,” what kind of snake is Kaa?

In Rudyard Kipling’s “Kaa’s Hunting,” Kaa is a rock python.

Kaa is one of the principal animal characters in Kipling’s Mowgli stories. He helps Bagheera and Baloo rescue Mowgli after the Bandar-log carry the boy to the Cold Lairs. Kaa’s age, strength, and knowledge of the jungle make him a powerful ally.

The story describes Kaa as a rock snake or rock python, reflecting the large constricting pythons found in the Indian subcontinent. He is not a venomous cobra, despite the common modern assumption that every famous snake character is a cobra.

Kaa’s portrayal changes across adaptations. Disney’s 1967 film presents him as a comic python, while Disney’s 2016 film makes him a female retelling of the character, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Kipling’s original Kaa, however, is male and is identified with a rock python.