Naja naja

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular names
English : Indian cobra
French : Cobra indien, Cobra à lunettes

Classification
Class : Reptilia
Order : Squamata
Family : Elapidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can grow to 2.20 meters in length. Coloration is brown with dark and light spotting on flanks and back. Head is dark brown with black markings. Neck shows black and white double monocle-shaped markings which are diagnostic.

Range and habitat
The species occurs in Southern Asia from Pakistan (and perhaps Afghanistan), to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. Mostly found in forests, rice fields and cultivated areas.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Appendix II
Status : The species is still numerous but big numbers are hunted and trapped for trading and exploitation each year.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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