Arabian cobra
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Naja
Subgenus: Uraeus
Species:
N. arabica
Binomial name
Naja arabica
(Scortecci, 1932)
Range of Arabian cobra
Synonyms[2]
  • Naja haje arabica
    Scortecci, 1932
  • Naja (Uraeus) arabica
    — Wallach et al., 2009
  • Naja arabica
    — Trape et al., 2009
  • Uraeus arabica
    — Wallach et al., 2014

The Arabian cobra (Naja arabica) is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula.

Etymology and Taxonomy

Naja arabica is classified under the genus Naja of the family Elapidae. It was first described by an Italian herpetologist, Giuseppe Scortecci in 1932. The generic name Naja is a Latinisation of the Sanskrit word nāgá (नाग), meaning "cobra”. The specific epithet arabica means “of Arabia” or “Arabic”.

This species, Naja arabica, had long been considered a subspecies of the Egyptian cobra (Naja haje), but morphological and genetic differences have led to its recognition as a separate species.[3]

Distribution

The Arabian cobra is found in western Oman, southwestern Saudi Arabia, and throughout Yemen.[1]

The Photo Ark

References

  1. 1 2 Els, J.; Al Johany, A.M.H. (2012). "Naja arabica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T199850A2613995. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T199850A2613995.en. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  2. ↑ Species Naja arabica at The Reptile Database . www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ↑ Trape, Jean-François; Chirio, Laurent; Broadley, Donald G. [in French]; Wüster, Wolfgang (2009). "Phylogeography and systematic revision of the Egyptian cobra (Serpentes: Elapidae: Naja haje) species complex, with the description of a new species from West Africa" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2236: 1–25. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2236.1.1. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  4. ↑ DELL'AMORE, DELL'AMORE (16 November 2021). "Arabian cobra becomes 12,000th animal added to ark of at-risk species". nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.

Further reading

  • Scortecci G (1932). "Rettili dello Yemen ". Atti della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale in Milano 71: 39–49. (Naja haje arabica, new subspecies, pp. 47–49). (in Italian).


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