Monocellate Cobra

About the Monocellate Cobra

The monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia), also called monocellate cobra and Indian spitting cobra, is a venomous cobra species widespread across South and Southeast Asia. It is characterized by a distinctive circular or "monocle"-shaped marking on the hood, though the pattern can be highly variable or even absent in some individuals. It occupies a wide range of habitats, including forests, agricultural land, and areas near human settlements. It is responsible for a significant proportion of snakebite incidents and fatalities in its range, due to its potent neurotoxic venom and frequent proximity to human settlements. Some populations of the monocled cobra have the ability to spit venom with notable accuracy, though not all individuals exhibit this behavior.

The scientific name Naja kaouthia was proposed by René Lesson in 1831, when he described the monocled cobra as a beautiful snake that is distinct from the spectacled cobra, with 188 ventral scales and 53 pairs of caudal scales.

Since then, several monocled cobras were described under different scientific names: In 1834, John Edward Gray published Thomas Hardwicke's first illustration of a monocled cobra under the trinomial... Wikipedia →