Forest cobra

The forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca), also commonly called the black cobra and the black and white-lipped cobra, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Africa, mostly the central and western parts of the continent. It is the largest true cobra species with a total length (including tail) of up to 3.1 meters (10 feet). Although it prefers lowland forest and moist savanna habitats, this cobra is highly adaptable and can be found in drier climates within its geographical range. It is a very capable swimmer and is often considered to be semi-aquatic. The forest cobra is a generalist in its feeding habits, having a highly varied diet: anything from large insects to small mammals and other reptiles. This species is alert, nervous and is considered to be a very dangerous snake. When cornered or molested, it will assume the typical cobra warning posture by raising its fore body off the ground, spreading a narrow hood, and hissing loudly. Bites to humans are less common than from other African cobras due to various factors, though a bite from this species is a life-threatening emergency. The forest cobra is classified in the genus Naja of the family Elapidae. Naja melanoleuca was first described by American herpetologist Edward Hallowell in 1857. The generic name Naja is a Latinisation of the Sanskrit word nāgá (नाग) meaning 'cobra'. The specific epithet melanoleuca is Ancient Greek and means 'of black and white'. The word melano is Greek for 'black', while leuca comes from the Ancient Greek word for 'white'. This species is also known as the black cobra and black and white-lipped cobra. The forest cobra is classified under the genus Naja of the family Elapidae. The genus was first described by Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in 1768. The species Naja melanoleuca was first described by Edward Hallowell in 1857. The genus Naja was split into several subgenera based on various factors, including morphology, diet, and habitat. Naja melanoleuca is part of the subgenus Boulengerina, along with three other species: Naja annulata, Naja christyi, and Naja multifasciata. The subgenus is united by their restriction to central and west African forest and/or forest-edge type habitat. They are also more aquatic and feed more on aquatic species. The species of the subgenus Boulengerina show great diversity in size, however, ranging from the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca) which can attain lengths of 2.7 metres (8.9 feet) to the burrowing cobra (Naja multifasciata) which doesn't grow larger than 0.8 metres (2.6 feet) in length. The below cladogram illustrates the taxonomy and relationships among species of Naja: The population on São Tomé was recently described as a new species, N. peroescobari, and a recent study based on mitochondrial DNA suggests that the N. melanoleuca may actually be made up of as many as five separate species: The forest cobra is Africa's largest cobra of the genus Naja and possibly the largest of all the true cobra (Naja) species in the world. The length of an average adult is 1.4 to 2.2 m (4.6 to 7.2 ft), but they may attain lengths of 2.7 metres (8.9 feet), and lengths up to 3.1 metres (10 feet) are also possible in rare cases. Males and females grow to be similar in length, as there is no sexual dimorphism within this species. The head of this snake is large, broad, flattened and is slightly distinct from the neck. It is a slightly depressed, tapered and moderately thick bodied snake with a slender tail that is medium in length. The body is compressed dorsoventrally (where the dorsal upper scales and the ventral lower scales meet at either side of the body) and sub-cylindrical posteriorly (the tail end of the body). The forest cobra has long cervical ribs capable of expansion to form a long, wedge shaped hood when threatened. The angle between the crown of the head and the side of the head between the eye, also known as the canthus is distinct, while the snout is rounded. Its eyes are large with round pupils. Like other snake species, the forest cobra has skin covered in scales. Snakes are entirely covered with scales or scutes of various shapes and sizes, known as snake skin as a whole. Scales protect the body of the snake, aid it in locomotion, allow moisture to be retained within, and alter the surface characteristics such as roughness to aid in camouflage. The dorsal scales of the forest cobra are smooth, glossy and strongly oblique. The colour of this species is variable, with three main colour morphs. Those from the forest or forest fringe, from Sierra Leone east to western Kenya and south to Angola are glossy black, the chin, throat and anterior region of the belly are cream or white, with broad black cross-bars and blotches. The sides of the head are strikingly marked with black and white, giving the impression of vertical black and white bars on the lips. The second colour morph, from the west African savanna, is banded black and yellow, with a black tail, the head is brownish-yellow on top, the lips, chin and throat are yellow. The third colour morph, from the coastal plain of east Africa, south to KwaZulu-Natal, inland to Zambia and southern Democratic Republic of Congo, is brownish or blackish-brown above, paler below, the belly is yellow or cream, heavily speckled with brown or black, and specimens from the southern part of its range have black tails. Melanistic (all black) specimens have been documented from west Africa. The head, body and tail scalation of the forest cobra: