Naja
The genus of true cobras: venomous elapids found across Africa and Asia.
Naja is a genus of venomous elapid snakes commonly known as cobras (or "true cobras"). Various species occur throughout Africa, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Several other elapid species are often called "cobras", such as the king cobra and the rinkhals, but they are not "true cobras", in that they do not belong to the genus Naja. Until recently, the genus Naja had 20 to 22 species, but it has undergone several taxonomic revisions in recent years, so sources vary greatly. Wide support exists, though, for a 2009 revision that synonymised the genera Boulengerina and Paranaja with Naja. According to that revision, the genus Naja now includes 38 species.
- Genus
- Naja
- Common name
- True cobras
- Number of species
- 38 (per 2009 revision)
- Geographic range
- Africa, Southwest Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia
- Maximum length
- Up to 3.1 m (10 ft)
- Most venomous species
- Caspian cobra (Naja oxiana)
- Venom type
- Neurotoxic, cytotoxic, cardiotoxic
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Naja
- Type Species
- Coluber naja
- Type Species Authority
- Linnaeus, 1758
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The origin of the generic name, Naja, is from the Sanskrit nāga (with a hard "g") meaning "snake". Some hold that the Sanskrit word is cognate with English "snake", Germanic: *snēk-a-, Proto-IE: *(s)nēg-o-, but Manfred Mayrhofer calls this etymology "not credible", and suggests a more plausible etymology connecting it with Sanskrit nagna, "hairless" or "naked".
Reader's Guide
Naja species vary in length, and most are relatively slender-bodied snakes. Most species are capable of attaining a total length (tail included) of 1.84 m. Maximum lengths for some of the larger species of cobras are around 3.1 m, with the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca) arguably being the longest species. All have a characteristic ability to raise the front quarter of the body off the ground and flatten the neck to appear larger to a potential predator. Fang structure is variable. All species except the Indian cobra (Naja naja), Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) and Caspian cobra (Naja oxiana) have some degree of adaptation to spitting. All species in the genus Naja are capable of delivering a fatal bite to a human. Most species have strongly neurotoxic venom, which attacks the nervous system, causing paralysis, but many also have cytotoxic features that cause swelling and necrosis, and have a significant anticoagulant effect. Some also have cardiotoxic components to their venom. Several Naja species, referred to as spitting cobras, have a specialized venom delivery mechanism. The Caspian cobra (N. oxiana) of Central Asia is the most venomous Naja species. The untreated mortality rate among those envenomed by N. oxiana approaches 80%, the highest among all species within the genus Naja.
Did You Know?
- The genus name Naja comes from the Sanskrit nāga, meaning 'snake'.
- All Naja species except the Indian cobra, Egyptian cobra, and Caspian cobra have some adaptation to spitting venom.
- The Caspian cobra (Naja oxiana) has the highest untreated mortality rate among Naja species, approaching 80%.
- A 2009 revision synonymised the genera Boulengerina and Paranaja with Naja, bringing the total to 38 species.
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