Which snake is known for building a nest for its eggs?

The snake known for building a nest for its eggs is the king cobra. Unlike most snakes, the female king cobra gathers dry leaves and other plant material into an above-ground nest before laying her clutch.

The scientific name is Ophiophagus hannah, meaning “snake-eater,” and the species lives across tropical and subtropical Asia. Nest construction usually takes place from late March to late May. The female arranges the leaf litter into layers, creating a chamber in which the eggs are protected and insulated.

King cobras are notable not only for nest building but also for guarding the nest. Females may remain nearby for weeks and can become highly defensive around incubating eggs. Clutches range from 7 to 43 eggs, although not every egg necessarily hatches.

The nest-building behavior is easy to confuse with the egg-laying habits of pythons, some of which coil around and guard their eggs. Pythons generally do not construct the distinctive leaf-litter nest associated with king cobras. The king cobra is also not a true cobra in the genus Naja; it belongs to the separate genus Ophiophagus.