Cobra Indian spectacled snake drawing. Spectacle snake. How does the Indian cobra reproduce?

Species: Naja naja = Indian cobra, spectacled snake

Indian cobra, or spectacled snake ( Naja naja), called in India tshinta-negu, nalla-pamba, naga, in Burma mue-science, 1.4-1.81 m long. It is fiery yellow in color, with a certain light with an ash-blue sheen; this color seems, however, pale, since the intervals between the scales are light yellow or white, and often the corners of individual scales are of the same color. On the back of the head light yellow or White color so predominates that the darker one appears only in the form of specks, and it is in this place that a pattern resembling glasses clearly stands out. These glasses are bordered by two black lines and are usually much lighter than the surrounding parts, while the places corresponding to the lenses of the glasses are either pure black or represent a light eye spot surrounded by a dark edge. The ventral side is dirty white and often has wide black transverse stripes on the anterior third of the body. But often there are also specimens that are black above, blackish-brown below, those that are olive-brown both above and below, and finally, those that are painted grayish above, whitish below; in addition, in some localities this species does not have a conspicuous pattern on the back of the head at all. The main differences from related species are the absence of large scutes behind the occipital ones, the number of rows of scales in the middle of the body, of which there are 19-23 here, and the insignificant height of the sixth labial.

The spectacled snake is distributed throughout India, southern China, Burma, Siam, the Malay Peninsula, the large Sunda Islands with the exception of Sulawesi, the Andaman Islands and Ceylon, and in the west across Afghanistan, northeastern parts of Persia and southern regions Turkmenistan to the Caspian Sea. In the Himalayas, it is found up to a height of 2,500 m. Like most other snakes, it does not seem to be associated with a specific area, on the contrary, it settles wherever it finds a comfortable shelter and enough food. Her favorite home is abandoned mounds of termites, ruins, heaps of stones and wood, holes in clay walls and similar heaps of rubbish, containing holes and hidden gaps that serve as a refuge for the spectacled snake. Tennent points out that in Ceylon it, along with the so-called big-eyed snake (Ptyas mucosus), represents the only snakes that do not avoid the proximity of human dwellings. She is attracted here by the sewage ditches, and perhaps also by the prey she expects to get here, namely rats, mice and small chickens.

Often, a flood also forces her to look for the overlying parts of the country that are not flooded with water, and at the same time the huts built there. Until she is disturbed, she usually lies lazily and sluggishly in front of the entrance to her dwelling, and when a person appears, as a rule, she hides hastily and, only driven to the extreme, rushes at the attacker. If she is not irritated, for example, if she goes hunting, she crawls along the ground writhing, with her head barely raised and her neck not extended; if she is irritated or even frightened, she immediately assumes the position characteristic of this genus, preparing for an attack. Although it is a diurnal snake, it avoids heat and generally the burning rays of the sun and begins hunting only in the late afternoon hours and often continues to crawl late at night, and therefore some authors unequivocally consider it a nocturnal animal.

All observers call her movements slow, but she is more dexterous than they think: she not only knows how to swim, but to a certain extent she can also climb. One cobra, which fell into the moat and could not climb its steep walls, swam easily and freely for several hours, holding its head and neck shield above the water; others even volunteered to go to sea. When the Wellington, a government fishing-surveillance vessel, was anchored in Coudremel Bay about a quarter of a mile from the shore, one day, about an hour before sunset, a spectacled snake was sighted from her. She sailed straight for the ship, and when she approached 12 m, the sailors began to throw pieces of wood and other objects at her and forced her to turn towards the shore. The next morning, the animal's footprint was found on the shore where it emerged from the water, and they tracked it to the nearby jungle. Later, one cobra was found and killed on the same ship, which could only get on it along the anchor chain; this proves that she can climb well. Tennent heard that one spectacled snake was found in the top of a coconut tree; "she was attracted, as they said, by the palm juice that oozed at this time"; in reality, she probably climbed a palm tree to hunt birds or rob nests. They are often seen on the roofs of houses.

The food of the cobra consists exclusively of small animals and, it seems, predominantly of reptiles and amphibians, at least Tennent indicates lizards, frogs and toads as prey that she pursues, Fairer, in addition, also fish and insects. That it must be dangerous for young chickens, mice, and rats is already sufficiently clear from the data I have given of the first of the above-named investigators; that she also robs bird nests and in particular looks for the eggs of poultry in chicken coops and pigeon houses, Fairer mentions. She has little interest in other snakes and does not seem to pursue them. She drinks a lot, but can also for a long time to endure thirst without harm, according to observations of captive cobras, for several weeks and even months.

Regarding the reproduction of the cobra, Fairer says that it lays up to 18 oblong white soft-shelled eggs, which are equal in size to the eggs of a domestic pigeon. Finson increases this number to 12-20. The Indians tell the same thing about the spectacled snake that the ancients say about the Egyptian cobra related to it: that the male and the female show a certain mutual affection, that where you catch one cobra, for the most part, soon after you notice another, etc., one in a word, that there is a mating life among spectacled snakes, and that both sexes strongly stick together. Tennent remarks that he has twice had occasion to make observations which seem to corroborate this account. One adult cobra was killed in the bath of the government house in Colombo, and "her companion" was found the next day in the same place; in the same way, when a cobra fell into the moat, on the same morning its “comrade” was found in the neighboring moat. Whether this happened precisely during the mating period and, therefore, is explained in a very natural way, Tennent does not say anything about this, and therefore we do not know how much this can be considered a matter of chance. Concerning the cubs, the Singhalese say that they become poisonous no earlier than the 13th day, when the first molt occurs.

The spectacled snake or Indian cobra belongs to the asp family and is included in the genus of real cobras. The reptile lives in Central Asia. These are India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. The snake can be found in impenetrable jungle and on open area. It rises to a height of 2 thousand meters above sea level. Often found on the outskirts of cities and in farms, as it feeds on rats and mice.

The head is rounded, the eyes are small, the pupil is round. On the upper jaw are poisonous fangs. The length of the reptile reaches 1.7-1.9 meters. The maximum length reaches 2.4 meters. A notable feature of the snake is that, in times of danger, it raises a third of its body vertically and extends the upper cervical ribs to the sides. The neck at the same time significantly expands and becomes flat. And on the stretched skin behind, the pattern clearly shows through. In its outlines, it resembles glasses. Hence the name "spectacle".

The body color of the reptile is quite variable and depends on the habitat. The main background varies from light gray to brown. It even comes in black. The belly is light with a slight yellowish tinge. In young snakes, dark stripes are observed on the body, located transversely. They disappear with age.

Reproduction and lifespan

This species is oviparous. Eggs are laid between April and July. For this, abandoned termite mounds or rodent burrows are selected. The clutch contains from 10 to 30 eggs. Incubation period lasts 60-70 days. Hatched snakes reach a length of 20-30 cm. They are already poisonous and immediately begin an independent life. Sexual maturity occurs at the 3rd year of life. IN wild nature Spectacled snake lives up to 20 years.

Behavior and nutrition

The Indian cobra has a very strong poison, which paralyzes the victim's muscles. In humans, symptoms of poisoning appear from 15 minutes to 2 hours. It all depends on which part of the body the poisonous fangs dug into. But death occurs only in 6 cases out of 1000. This is due to the fact that, while defending, the snake does not always release poison. In most cases, it is limited to a normal bite. The reptile feeds on rodents, toads, frogs, birds and other types of snakes.

The formidable reptile is very popular with magicians and fakirs. It is representatives of this species that they use in their speeches. The spectacle snake is kept in a wicker basket, and when people gather around, the lid is removed, and the poisonous reptile rises from it. There is an opinion that spellcasters pull out poisonous fangs to protect themselves. But it's not. In place of the removed fangs, new ones grow very quickly, and the poison is produced in any case. In addition, after the performance, viewers often demand to show fangs. If they are not found, then the fakir will be ridiculed.

These reptiles are kept in captivity. In principle, there is nothing to worry about, since the Indian cobra never bites unnecessarily. If you do not show aggression towards her, then she will behave calmly. The snake lives in a terrarium. The temperature in it is maintained at the level of 28-30 degrees. Humidity corresponds to 60-80%. The diet consists of rodents, frogs, toads and lizards. This species is highly respected in India. In Hindu mythology, this reptile is represented as a powerful deity. The fearsome reptile is worshiped during the Nag Panchami festival.

The length of the cobra is from 1.5 to 2 meters. The reptile lives in Central Asia.In India, the spectacled snake is an object of reverent reverence and even almost superstitious fear..Snake got its name from the two spots that are visible on its swollen hood.

Other names

Naja naja - lat. the name of a species of Indian cobra.
Cobra - General English, French, Italian, Spanish. name of the genus cobra
Spectacle snake.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
Type: Chordata
Class: Reptilia (reptiles)
Order: Squamata (scaly)
Suborder: Serpentes (snakes)
Family: Elipidae (asps)
Genus: Naja (real cobras)
Species: Naja naja (Indian cobra or spectacled snake)
Subspecies: monocle cobra (Naja naja kaouthia), Central Asian cobra (Naja naja oxiana), Indian spitting cobra (Naja naja sputatrix), blind cobra (Naja naja coeca), Taiwanese cobra (Naja naja atra) and others, about 10 subspecies are known in total .

habitation

Most often, the Indian cobra is found in South Asia and on the African mainland. Central Asia, in the east of Iran, in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and on the island of Sri Lanka. Also, the habitat of this snake extends throughout South-East Asia, reaching South China and the island of Taiwan and covering all the Sunda and Philippine Islands. The latitudes of our country are characterized by a subspecies of the Central Asian cobra, which inhabits the territories of southern Turkmenistan, southern Uzbekistan and southwestern Tajikistan. The Central Asian subspecies of the Indian cobra prefers to live in the foothills, not rising high, but living on hills with sparse grassy vegetation and many holes and stone blockages where you can hide. In Central Asia, the Indian cobra chooses places near water or mountain gorges. And she also willingly settles near human habitation, for example, in the ruins of old houses, in cemeteries and even in populated villages. However, it can be found with the same success in the arid territories of the Asian deserts far from water bodies. Actually, the Indian cobra, that is, its nominal subspecies that lives in India, Ceylon and Pakistan, chooses a variety of places to live - the ruins of buildings, tree roots, termite mounds and ravines. She is also not afraid of the closeness of a person. The Indian cobra can settle both in the city and on personal plot, and in the rice field, and in the mountains up to 2700 meters above sea level. The spitting Indian cobra is a resident of Southeast Asia, the Lesser Sunda and Philippine Islands, in particular, the islands of Java and Celebes. Other subspecies that can "shoot" poison are found in the Malay Islands.

Description

The Indian cobra owes many legends and stories, including its amazing appearance. She is very colorful. The predominant color is bright yellow with a bluish tinge, visible in sunlight. In different subspecies of the snake, the body color can vary from yellow-gray to brown, and completely black snakes come across. The ventral part of the body is noticeably lighter - yellow-brown or gray. In young Indian cobras, horizontal wide dark stripes are visible on the skin. As the snake matures, they disappear. The body length of the Indian cobra is one and a half - two meters. Its rounded and slightly flattened head is integral with the body. The eyes of the Indian cobra are medium-sized, with a round pupil. Large skin shields are located on the head, and the body is long and thinning towards the tail, completely covered with smooth, gleaming scales.
The Indian cobra earned the nickname of the spectacle snake due to the light pattern on the back of the neck, reminiscent of antique glasses. When the snake is frightened or defensive, it raises the front of the torso to a vertical position, and the head of the cobra balances against the enemy. The hood appears due to 8 pairs of front ribs, which at this moment are parted to the sides. The hooded part of the body immediately noticeably expands and flattens, and the glasses clearly show through on the skin. As already mentioned, in the subspecies of the monocle cobra, the spectacle pattern consists of one ring, while in the Central Asian subspecies it is completely absent.
For all its seeming grace, the Indian cobra is quite clumsy and clumsy. However, it swims, dives and moves along tree branches very well. A pair of the famous poisonous fangs of the Indian cobra is located on the upper jaw, followed by an empty gap, and then a few (1-3) small teeth. However, this snake, unlike its other relatives, does not bite often. She prefers to scare off the enemy with a loud hiss and impressive appearance, without waiting for him to approach or touch her. But even with direct contact with the enemy, the Indian cobra is able to first inflict a fake bite by hitting the enemy with its head. The thing is that the teeth of this snake are shorter than, say, those of vipers, so for a full-fledged bite, it has to firmly cling to the victim with its teeth and squeeze them several times in order to accurately bite through and inject poison. And the teeth of the Indian cobra are easy enough to break, but new ones quickly grow in their place. In fact, it is quite difficult to turn under the bite of this snake in nature, only if you specifically run into it. In reality, Indian cobras rarely attack humans.
Of particular interest to scientists is such a subspecies of the Indian cobra as spitting. This snake really original way attack. She is able to spray poison towards the enemy at a distance of up to 2 meters. This feature works thanks to special structure poisonous fangs, the venom-conducting channel in which is not directed downward, as in other representatives of the aspid family, but forward - perpendicular to the front side of the canine. A sharp contraction of the muscles helps the spitting cobra shoot venom through these holes. The spitting Indian cobra is highly accurate. She directs a stream of poison into the eyes of the enemy, but more often uses this skill against large opponents. Such a "shot" can lead to complete blindness if the eyes are not rinsed in time.

Nutrition

Various subspecies of cobras hunt in different time days: some in the evening and late at night, others - spring days during the period of greatest activity. In especially hot summer days the Indian cobra goes out for prey in the early morning, when the sun has not yet begun to burn. Its main food is amphibians (toads and frogs), small lizards and other reptiles, as well as rodents - mice and rats. If, in search of food, a snake finds a bird's nest, then it will certainly be ruined. And it is no coincidence that the Indian cobra settles next to people. So she provides herself with a plentiful diet, thanks to the rodents living next to a person, as well as the eggs of poultry. The Indian cobra is quite capable of plundering a chicken coop. In the water, she hunts for fish. But even without water she can do for a long time, for several weeks and even months, although if there is a reservoir nearby, she drinks a lot and willingly.

reproduction

The nominal subspecies of the Indian cobra is characterized by better fertility than the Central Asian. There is affection between individuals of different sexes, the female and male stay together not only during the mating season, but also after fertilization, until the birth of the young. The mating season for Indian cobras begins in winter, and they make clutches in late spring and protect it with joint efforts. But more often, of course, the female guards her offspring. True, unlike royal cobras, Indian cobras do not incubate eggs, warming them with their warmth. However, the spectacled snake also carefully prepares for the appearance of offspring, choosing the right warm place for the nest, and then defending it with all the courage she can muster. It is better not to disturb the Indian cobra guarding eggs, during this period it is especially dangerous. In one clutch of the Indian cobra, there are about 10-20 eggs, but it happened to find larger clutches - up to 45 eggs in the nest. After 2, 5 - 3 months, small snakes appear from the eggs, which are already poisonous, ready for defense and able to inflate their hood. In captivity, it is quite difficult to achieve the reproduction of the Indian cobra, not all zoos can boast of this, not to mention the private owners of terrariums.

The Indian cobra is so dangerous that it is unlikely to be found in private collections of terrariumists. Scientists prefer to observe this snake on the territory nature reserves and rarely in zoos. But if we talk about the arrangement of the terrarium, then for an Indian cobra one and a half meters in size, it should be at least 100x80x60 cm. crucial moment– maintenance desired temperature. This can be provided by heated floors. And of course, the Indian cobra, even in a limited space, needs shelter, for example, some plants, under the roots of which you can climb, or specially adapted boxes. Small rodents can be used as live food for the Indian cobra, as well as fish, pieces of meat and other sources of animal protein. And yet, once again, keeping poisonous snakes in captivity is very dangerous.

Additionally

In India, cobras are treated not only with fear, but with real reverence and reverence. Hindus bow before her as before a deity and, having found an Indian cobra in their house, in every possible way coax and even feed her. It is not surprising that with such an attitude, charlatanism associated with the performances of snake charmers is widespread in India. These people train the Indian cobra, accustoming it to certain movements and sounds, and over time the snake begins to demonstrate a semblance of dance to the music. It is said that unscrupulous charmers simply break out the poisonous teeth of the snake. However, researchers have determined that most of these trainers still know how to handle poisonous Indian cobras without resorting to any violence.

Spectacled cobra (Naja naja (LINNAEUS, 1758))- taxonomic parent of almost all Asian cobras, earlier many of independent species were just subspecies of spectacled, there are no examples of a more striking restructuring of the species than the history of the study of taxonomy spectacled cobra. Back in the 19th century there was only one kind-Naja najawith 10 subspecies, four of which were found in India:Naja naja naja- Indian subspecies with glasses on the hood;Naja naja kaouthia- cobras with one ring on the hood;Naja naja oxiana(Central Asian cobra);Naja naja sagittifera(Andaman cobra). Thanks to the Indian herpetologist Deraniyagala (1945, 1960, 1961), all four subspecies acquired an independent status, and new subspecies were identified forNaja naja: Naja naja indusiin northwest India, they are "characterized" by the absence of ordinary teeth on the maxillary bone, although normally one should be;Naja naja madrasiensisin the south, it was believed that their poisonous teeth were morphologically sufficiently developed for spitting;Naja naja gangeticain northeast India, a subspecies without any basis, even in the original article;Naja naja bombaya- central India, isolated from a single find, differs by the absence of "interinferior labial" (cuneate) scales;Naja naja karachiensis- South Pakisat and adjacent territories of India. For the nominative formNaja naja najaconsidered the population of spectacled cobras from Sri Lanka, but all Deraniyagala's arguments were not weighty enough, many of his works were subsequently ignored by colleagues. In 1984, a temporary subspecies appearedNaja naja polyocellata, which even Deraniyagala called only a special Sri Lankan variation, but not a subspecies, was later decided to do so.


Now everything is different, but there are studies by cladists, according to which one of the most famous snakes is located on the basal of other species. All this is very important in fact, especially for poisonous snakes, as it turned out, each species has its own toxicology, everyone is very different in the action and strength of the poison, the fight against the consequences of bites varies depending on the type of cobra. Not a few people died from the generalization of all Asian cobras into one species, it is enough to confuse the sera. The study of the systematics of venomous snakes leads to the optimization of the process of making antidote sera.

inhabitsspectacled cobra on the territory following countries: Pakistan, India (in most of the country), Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, eastern Afghanistan. In India, it is one of the four most deadly snakes, including efa ( Echis carinatus), bungar (Bungarus caeruleus) and chain viper (Daboia russeli), we can safely say that this is one of the most dangerous snakes in the world, although not as poisonous as taipans, up to 10,000 spectacled cobras die from poison.



This is a large snake, often reaching two meters (record holders from Sri Lanka), the usual size is 100-150 cm (newborns 25-30 cm), a very powerful body, it is easy to distinguish from other types of cobras by the spectacle pattern on a very large hood, however, this feature is very variable. The standard option is when there are two black spots (their width is two scales) on the back with a light edging, but there may be more spots, or they may be completely absent. The color is also different, there are yellow, gray, reddish and completely black snakes with a slight white speck, there are also natural melanists, sometimes they are distinguished into a separate subspeciesNaja naja karachiensis- Pakistani black cobra, last time under this name was published in 2013, quite recently, they still remember the works of the famous Indian herpetologist, by the way, in the Pakistani population of spectacled cobras, the babies are painted gray, and the hood does not always have glasses from birth. Why aren't Pakistani cobras a separate subspecies? In fact, according to the signs, everything is in order, if you wish, you can also calculate the regularity in the number of scales, the color is special, more than, but there is not enough isolation from other spectacled cobras, so it all depends on herpetologists, some people raise this moment to be fundamental, others ignore it, it is worth noting that far from all subspecies of snakes are necessarily characterized by the presence of isolation, hybrids are simply recognized at the border of populations. Back to characterizationNaja naja. The population from Sri Lanka can have up to 20 transverse black stripes on the belly, normally there should be 1-5, the very position of the large "throat" collar is also variable, the error can reach up to 10 scales. The number of rows of dorsal scales in spectacled cobras is very variable, it all depends on the population, in the northwest the number of rows is less, and there are populations with such a large number of dorsal rows as none of the Asian cobras. It can be distinguished from the closest monocle cobras by the presence of one small triangular "inter-inferior" (cuneate) scales above the fifth lower labial, or between the fourth and fifth, and again, just don't get angry, however, there are spectacled cobras without these scales, above I wrote about the subspeciesNaja naja bombaya, it is not recognized, because from its habitats many spectacled cobras with "interinferior labial" (cuneate) were later found, the trait was attributed to the limits of individual variability. The range of spectacled cobras intersects with many other former subspecies, the differences are always minimal, most taxonomists are guided by the pattern on the hood, the color on the ventral side and the isolation of some species from others, because the number of ventral, dorsal, caudal scales greatly overlaps for different types, considering the variability of the spectacled cobra.



The length of the poisonous teeth can reach 7.5 mm, the spectacled cobras have the longest teeth relative to body size among the cobras of all Asia, in addition to the poisonous fangs, there are also non-poisonous teeth, the spectacled cobras usually have one non-poisonous tooth on the maxillary bone, but sometimes this rule is not works, and there is no dependence on certain populations, everything is within individual variability, chaotically, for this reason they refused to distinguish subspeciesNaja naja indusi And Naja naja bombaya. In 1% of cobras, two teeth were found at once on the maxillary bone.

An interesting detail, almost all cobras can spit poison, to varying degrees of course, butNaja naja And Naja oxianaThere are no tools at all for this.

For the above reasons, studying the behavior of spectacled cobras, their lifestyle, diet, the effect of poison and much more turned out to be difficult, because old publications do not always contain a description of morphology and there are no high-quality images of the objects of study, one has to guess which of the 10 species of the "spectacled cobra complex "There was a speech, but the views are completely different. Now imagine, the most famous snake in the world, due to the incredible number of errors of morphologists and herpetologists, was not studied until 1998!

Spectacled cobras have not spread so much for nothing, they can occupy a variety of niches, they are not found anywhere, from rainforest up to rice fields, in arid places, often seen near settlements, move well on water and climb well at low heights. In terms of diet, everything is also very universal, most of it is made up of rats and other small rodents, followed in equal numbers by tailless amphibians, lizards (even monitor lizards), snakes, including poisonous snakes, such as efas. They manage to learn everything and go everywhere thanks to round-the-clock activity, they prefer evening-night time, but they can be active during the day.

From April to July, spectacled cobras lay eggs, there can be up to 45 pieces in a clutch, usually less, females remain to guard the nest until the babies hatch, incubation lasts 48-69 days. Interesting fact, hybrids of monocle cobras and spectacled cobras are characterized by the protection of masonry in pairs, males also participate in this process.


Everyone knows how cobras defend themselves, spectacles in this regard are better than all others, and all thanks to the hood of a record size, relative to the body, of course. In the event of a threat, the snakes take a characteristic stance on a third of the body, hiss loudly and make throws towards the irritant, extremely rarely everything comes to a bite, usually these are head blows, if bites occur, then they are far from always fatal, while protecting spectacled cobras use little poison, and sometimes it is not injected at all. I remind you that this species does not know how to spit, all publications on this subject were from confusion with others species - former subspeciesNaja naja.



Iin spectacled cobras, it is complex, includes postsynaptic neurotoxin and cardiotoxin, when bitten, muscle paralysis occurs, breathing stops, and heartbeat is disturbed. Hyaluronidase in cobra venom is able to increase the permeability of tissues by reducing the viscosity of the mucopolysaccharides that make up their composition, this leads to necrosis and accelerates the spread of the poison throughout the body of the victim. Symptoms begin in the first 15 minutes, in special cases appear after two hours. For mice, LD50 ("poison strength") is 0.45 mg / kg - 0.80 mg / kg, I remind you, the lower this value, the stronger the poison, for taipan the same indicator is around 0.03 mg / kg, for Blanding's boigas 2.88 mg / kg. On average, in one bite, a spectacled cobra injects 169-250 mg of poison. If serum was used at the time, there is a high probability of complete recovery after a full bite, the probability fatality 15-20%.



I do not recommend keeping in captivity, but if it so happened that there is a cobra, it is worth considering the following. Juveniles may be kept in small plastic containers 10 liters, for adults, a large terrarium is required, of sufficient size so that the snake can move in it, so that you can install a shelter (inside a moist substrate, such as moss), a drinking bowl and that there is a necessary temperature gradient, from 24 to 28 background, in point up to 33 (day 12 hours), at night it can be lowered to 22-24, wintering 16-20 degrees for two months a year, the light period is reduced. To be honest, adult spectacled cobras are successfully kept and bred in plastic containers with a volume of about 100 liters, they do not spend any wintering and playing with light. Of course, good ventilation is essential. Mulch, shavings, coconut substrate, coconut chips, pine chips, paper, newspaper, napkins are suitable as a substrate. Lighting doesn't matter. Humidity at the level of 60%, it is necessary to spray only at the time of molts. The diet in captivity can consist only of rats, do not overdo it, obesity is very dangerous for all snakes.



Synonyms for the spectacled cobra in different areas of the range: nag, murkan, naya, nagu pam, nagara havu, naga pambu, nalla pambu, fetigom, gohra.

In the future, fixing the Albino morph of the spectacled cobra, hypomelanists and other interesting variations are already known, everything is still ahead, there is every chance to catch up with the monocle.


Always remember special safety precautions when working with poisonous snakes, all the information on this subject is presented on our forum.

Thank you very much for your attention))) More to come

Indian cobra is a member of the true cobra genus. This is a very poisonous snake. Every year, more than 50 thousand people die from its bites in India alone, although there are many more attacks. Some are saved by the timely injected serum, others by the fact that the bite was “false”. Great importance this is played by the unpleasant neighborhood of a reptile and a person, thanks to which attacks become commonplace.

Indian cobra, or Naya, is divided into several subspecies, among which

• blind;
• spitting Indian;
• monocle;
• Central Asian;
• Taiwanese.

Habitat

Spectacled cobra lives on the African continent, not the territory of the Asian part of Eurasia. The habitat includes Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and India. It inhabits both wet jungles and mountainous areas. In China, the cobra is very common in rice fields.

Description

The Indian cobra is a rather large snake with a body up to two meters long, covered with dense scales. Distinctive feature This type of snake is a hood, which the cobra opens in case of danger or excitement. The hood causes swelling of the body of the Indian cobra, formed as a result of the expansion of the ribs and intercostal muscles.

Indian cobras have a variety of colors body surface. More often, the scales are yellow, grayish-brown or sandy in color. Close to the head is a pattern, the contours of which resemble glasses, for which the cobra is called spectacle snake. The drawing performs a protective function. When attacking it, it seems to the predator that the snake is looking directly at him, and not turned back.

Behavioral features

This type of reptile is not at all afraid of humans, so very often they inhabit places near human habitation, outbuildings or agricultural land. Often, the Indian cobra can be seen in abandoned buildings. Indian cobras rarely attack first. If a person is not a source of danger for her and does not show aggression, the cobra will not attack, but prefer to hide. All cases of attack are associated with the natural defense of the snake at the moment of life threat.

Basic diet reptiles consists of small rodents, birds, amphibians. The snake can destroy bird nests and eat eggs and chicks. Near villages, the snake can prey on poultry, small animals, mice and rats. A large Indian cobra easily swallows a rat and a small hare. For a long time snakes can do without water.

Depending on the region of habitat, snakes of this species hunt at different times of the day. As a rule, they look for prey on the ground, in tall grass or in water, since this snake swims very well. When attacking, the spectacled snake takes a defensive stance, raising its upper body, straightening its hood, while emitting a loud hiss.

Most Indians know that the spectacled snake has a noble character and never does not attack first. The first throw of the snake is always deceptive: the snake does not inject poison, but hits its head, as if warning about its intentions. If the victim did receive a dose deadly poison, within half an hour will appear warning signs poisoning:

• severe dizziness,
• confusion,
• muscle weakness,
• impaired coordination of movements.
• severe vomiting.

A few hours later, paralysis of the heart muscle occurs and the person dies. The poison is highly toxic. One gram of poison is enough to kill about a hundred small dogs.

An interesting subspecies is the spitting cobra, which almost never bites. Due to the special structure of her teeth, she injects poison. The channels are not in the lower part of the tooth, in the lateral surface . In case of danger she spits out poison at a distance of up to two meters, trying to get the victim into the eyes. This leads to damage to the cornea of ​​​​the eye and loss of vision. Unlike other types of venomous snakes, reptile teeth are very brittle and fragile. When bitten, this leads to chipping and breaking off. New teeth grow in very quickly.

reproduction

In the third year of life, the Indian cobra begins puberty. mating season spectacled snake falls in January and February. After three months, the snakes lay 10-20 eggs. This species constantly guards the laying of eggs, being nearby.

Two months later, cubs appear that can move independently and leave the nest. Many species of spectacled snake in India are kept in terrariums next to humans. They become participants in numerous performances for tourists.

Indian cobra is a type of snake that is considered to be national treasure. A lot of legends and beliefs are associated with this snake. Rudyard Kipling's Rikki-Tikki-Tavi story about the confrontation between a small mongoose and a huge Indian cobra is known all over the world.

Many have heard or seen Spectacled snake dancing to the tune of a snake charmer. This sight is incredibly dangerous unless some precautions are taken. Therefore, many charmers remove teeth from snakes or sew up their mouths before performing. In fact, there are several people in the world who can work with poisonous snakes. These people are well aware of the habits of snakes, to which movements they can react aggressively.