Researchers found a King Cobra's nest with 72 eggs, nearly twice the number usually seen. When researchers approached the nest, they were surprised to find two possible female cobras guarding it

A king cobra nest containing 72 eggs has been discovered in China's Yunnan province, giving researchers a rare look at how the large venomous snakes reproduce in the wild.

The nest stood out not only because of the number of eggs inside, but also because researchers found two adult king cobras guarding it. Scientists could not determine whether the snakes were male or female, although they said two females may have contributed to the unusually large clutch.

The discovery came in June 2024, when local residents found the nest in a mixed forest west of Kunming. Researchers returned to the site on July 1 and found the two cobras still guarding the nest.


The nest had been built from pine needles and had grown to about 1 metre high and 1.5 metres wide. Researchers found the 72 eggs packed towards the centre, around half a metre above the ground.

The eggs also sat inside a warm part of the nest. Researchers estimated the temperature there at around 35°C to 40°C, considerably warmer than the surrounding air.

Why the 72 eggs stood out

The number of eggs made the Kunming nest particularly unusual. Earlier studies have generally recorded 14 to 37 eggs in king cobra nests.

The 72 eggs therefore represented an exceptionally large clutch and, according to the researchers, the largest king cobra clutch reported in published studies.

Scientists could not determine the sex of either cobra guarding the nest. One possibility they considered was that a single female had produced an unusually large number of eggs. Another was that two females had laid their eggs together in one nest.

The researchers have not confirmed the second explanation. However, the number of eggs, roughly twice the size of many previously recorded clutches, makes it one possible explanation for what they found.

The two cobras did not remain at the nest throughout the observation period. By July 20, only the larger snake remained, and it eventually left the nest when researchers approached.

Three king cobra nests found in Yunnan

The 72-egg nest was one of three king cobra nests that residents discovered in different parts of Yunnan between 2020 and 2025.

The first appeared in Menghai County in July 2020. Residents found it in a bamboo forest at an elevation of about 1,730 metres. Researchers found 30 eggs inside the nest after the adult cobra guarding it moved away.

The third nest appeared in Lancang County in June 2025. Residents reported seeing two adult king cobras near it, although researchers found only one when they arrived.

That nest contained 25 eggs. Researchers later saw young king cobras emerge from it in August 2025, giving them direct evidence that the nest had successfully produced hatchlings.

Why the China discoveries matter

King cobras are unusual among snakes because they build nests and guard their eggs, but scientists still have limited information about their reproduction in the wild.

The three Yunnan discoveries are particularly useful because they provide the first documented king cobra nesting and clutch-size records in China outside the Xizang Autonomous Region, according to the study published in Integrative Conservation.

The findings also show how much the number of eggs can vary. The three nests contained 30, 72 and 25 eggs, with the Kunming nest standing out by a wide margin.

The researchers say more fieldwork will be needed to understand whether the two-cobra guarding behaviour and the unusually large clutch represent rare events or behaviours that scientists have simply not documented often in the wild.

(With TOI inputs)