Cobra Naja Naja comments

 Cobra: Naja Naja 

Cobras (Naja Naja) are venomous snakes with fangs that are threatening and intimidating. Their venom attacks the neural system of the body. They are usually active during the day. They are one of the longest snakes in the world. Mongooses are animals that can hunt snakes and even cobras too. Cobra is the common name for several Asian and African snakes in several genera of the family Elapidae, characterized by smooth scales, large shields covering the head, eyes with round pupils, a pair of short, rigid fangs to inject venom, and the ability to expand their neck area to form a flattened hood. The term cobra is especially associated with the genus Naja, the "true cobras."

Classification of Cobra

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Suborder: Serpentes

Family: Elapidae (with some exceptions)

Laurenti, 1768

Cobra: Naja Naja

Geographical distribution: 

Naja has a wide distribution, found in India, Africa, China, the Philippines, Tasmania, Australia, New Guinea, and Egypt.

Habit and habitat: 

Cobras are diurnal, shy, living in holes, under stones, mud walls, and in thick vegetation. It is oviparous, and carnivorous, and feeds on frogs, rats, lizards, and other snakes. It hibernates. 

Three varieties of cobras are found in India: 

(i) Binocellate hood has a spectacle-like mark just like U found in Maharashtra, 

(ii) Monocellate with a single oval mark surrounded by ellipses found in Bengal, 

(iii) Non-cellar without any mark found in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

Comments:

(1) Commonly called cobra. Naja naja is Indian cobra or Nag.

(2) The body measures 2 to 3 meters in length and is wheatish (gehuwa) in color. During hibernation the color becomes golden but on exposure to light, it changes to brown.

(3) The body is divided into head, neck, trunk, and tail. The Head contains the mouth, eyes, and nostrils.

(4) The neck region is dilatable with elongated ribs. It expands to form a hood that contains a bi-nucleate mark on the dorsal surface. Some people call it a figure of ten. There is a white band around the mark.

(5) Third shield of upper labia or lip large and extending from ocular to nasal shield. The ocular shield bears the eye and the nasal shield bears the opening of the nostril. Paired eyes with narrow pupils.

(6) Tail shields on the undersurface of the tail in a double row. The body is covered by smooth oblique scales. 

(7) Maxillary bone extends beyond palatine. Poison fangs are followed by 1-3 small teeth. Loreal absent. Nostrils are large and vertically elliptical. Frontal shield truncated.

Special features of cobra

 Cobras are deadly poisonous snakes. They rise their hood when alarmed and the hood sways back and forth for striking the object. During this period it produces a hissing sound. It will not strike if the intruder comes standstill. The snake-bite cases should be immediately attended to by medical persons. The snake (Naja naja) is very common in India. It is worshipped on Nagpanchami day. The cobra bite is cured sometimes in villages by snake charmers by Mantra or sometimes by sucking poison out of the wound. The presence of a jewel in the head is not correct. Naja Bungarus is called King cobra because it eats other cobras.

Identification of Cobra

 Since this snake has a characteristic hood and its mark and above features, hence it is

Naja naja (Cobra).

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