How do cobras make their hoods?

Cobras create their characteristic hoods by expanding their neck ribs. This action is a defensive behavior used to intimidate potential predators or threats.123

When a cobra feels threatened, it typically raises the front portion of its body and spreads these ribs outward, which stretches the skin of the neck to form the hood. This posture often serves to make the snake appear larger and more formidable, and in some species, it also reveals distinct markings on the throat or the front of the hood.123