Feared for being one of the deadliest of all venomous snakes in the world, what was once thought to be the famous king cobra called Ophiophagus hannah roaming the Philippines is now revealed to be something else entirely as new research has identified the Ophiophagus salvatana as a new species exclusive only to Luzon.

But scientists say these deadly snakes are vulnerable to extinction because they face a variety of threats stemming from human activities.

The discovery of the new cobra species comes after a decade of research led by herpetologist Gowri Shankar that was recently published in the European Journal of Taxonomy.

“After a decade of dedicated research that I’ve had the privilege to lead, we’ve successfully resolved the taxonomic complex of Ophiophagus hannah,” Shankar posted in his Facebook account.

“This research represents a significant step forward in our understanding of king cobra taxonomy,” he added.
To clarify, Ophiophagus hannah is no longer a collective term for king cobras but a distinct species among four different kinds with local conservation organization Wildlife Matters citing that two of these species—Ophiophagus salvatana and Ophiophagus bungarus—can be found in the Philippines.

Having a narrower head, lighter color, fewer bands and smaller occipital scales as compared to other king cobra species, Ophiophagus salvatana can only be found in Luzon, according to Wildlife Matters chief-executive-officer Jazz Torres Ong noted.

On the other hand, Ophiophagus bungarus has a wider head, darker color, more bands and larger occipital scales. Locally, they are typically found in Mindoro and Palawan.

However, there are still some nuances to explore. While Shankar’s research mentions that Ophiophagus salvatana has no banding, Ong has seen otherwise: “It’s just that hindi sila kasing prominent ng bungarus and hannah.”

This new discovery is more than just a scientific win—it has huge implications for conservation efforts. Ong stressed that Ophiophagus salvatana’s newfound status as a ‘super endemic’ species means it could be even rarer than previously thought.

“The discovery of O. salvatana is very important because it tells us how rare and fragile our biodiversity is. For the longest time, scientists believed king cobras as a whole were vulnerable but now with this new split, we know that they are even more rare. Who knows, possibly even endangered,” the Wildlife Matters CEO concluded.