A reader sent me this small image of a king cobra found while he was on vacation in Laos. The king cobras in the northeast of Thailand are dark like this – black even, and they all have these light colored bands across the body. This one looks to be a juvenile king cobra because even the head is banded. As the snake matures it loses that and the head becomes a solid color.

He said this cobra headed down the steps and into the Mekhong River.