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| Mandalay spitting cobra | |
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| Species: | N. mandalayensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Naja mandalayensis | |
The Mandalay spitting cobra (Naja mandalayensis), also called Burmese spitting cobra or Mandalay cobra, is a species of cobra in the Elapidae family and is endemic to the dry zone in central Myanmar.[1]
Etymology[edit]
Naja mandalayensis was first described by herpetologists Wolfgang Wüster and Joseph Bruno Slowinski in 2000.[4] The generic name naja is a Latinisation of the Sanskrit word nāgá (नाग) meaning "cobra".[5] The specific epithet mandalayensis is Latin and refers to the city of Mandalay, which is a major city within the range of Naja mandalayensis.
Description[edit]
This species of cobra is small in length, but it's a heavy bodied snake. The average body length of an adult including the tail is around 0.828 m (2.72 ft), but they can grow longer. The largest specimen measured was a male that was 1.018 m (3.34 ft) long, but the specimens tail was broken. The tail could be expected to have measured around 240 to 250 mm (9.4 to 9.8 in) in length. The head is elliptical, depressed, slightly distinct from the neck with a short, rounded snout and large nostrils. The body compressed dorsoventrally and subcylindrical posteriorly. Its scales are smooth and strongly oblique. The eyes are moderate in size with round pupils.[4]
Geographic distribution[edit]
This species is endemic to the central dry zone of Myanmar, spanning the Mandalay, Magway, and Sagaing Divisions. The central dry zone is a well defined area with a characteristic climate, and an extent of less than 20,000 km2. The few known records of this snake have been taken from areas throughout this general region, and it has an estimated extent of occurrence of approximately 18,500 km2 based on recorded data.[4]
Habitat[edit]
This species occurs in the central dry zone of Myanmar, an area that receives less than 1,000 mm (39 in) of rain annually. The area is made up of acacia and stunted dipterocarpaceae savannas, although the area is being intensively utilized for agricultural purposes. Mandalay spitting cobra specimens have been collected in dry forests and dry acacia habitat.[4]
Behaviour and diet[edit]
This species cobra is nocturnal in nature and will often "spit" venom when threatened or molested. It preys mainly on toads and frogs but will also take other snakes, small mammals and occasionally fish.[6]
Venom[edit]
Nothing is known about the venom of this particular species. However, as a species of spitting cobra the venom likely has a cytotoxic and post-synaptic neurotoxic properties.
- ^ a b IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012.1.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help); Unknown parameter|assessment_year=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|assessors=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|taxon=ignored (help) - ^ "Naja". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ "Naja mandalayensis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ a b c d Slowinski, J.B.; Wüster, W. (2000). "A New Cobra (Elapidae: Naja) from Myanmar (Burma)". Herpetologica. 56 (2): 257–270. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ "Naja". The Free Dictionary. Princeton University. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ "Naja mandalayensis". Clinical Toxinology Resource. University of Adelaide, Australia. Retrieved 30 December 2014.