Contents

Cobra

Cobra Temporal range: Miocene–Holocene
Indian cobra (Naja naja) in a defensive posture
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae (with some exceptions) Laurenti, 1768

Cobra is the common name of various venomous snakes, most of which belong to the genus Naja.^[1]

Many cobras are capable of rearing upwards and producing a hood when threatened.^[a]

While the members of the genus Naja constitute the true cobras, the name cobra is also applied to these other genera and species:

• The rinkhals, ringhals or ring-necked spitting cobra (Hemachatus haemachatus) so-called for its neck band as well as its habit of rearing upwards and producing a hood when threatened^[2]
• The king cobra or hamadryad (Ophiophagus hannah)^[3]
• The two species of tree cobras, Goldie's tree cobra (Pseudohaje goldii) and the black tree cobra (Pseudohaje nigra)^[4]
• The two species of shield-nosed cobras, the Cape coral snake (Aspidelaps lubricus) and the shield-nosed cobra (Aspidelaps scutatus)^[4]: p.76
• The two species of black desert cobras or desert black snakes, Walterinnesia aegyptia and Walterinnesia morgani, neither of which rears upwards and produces a hood when threatened^[4]: p.65
• The eastern coral snake or American cobra (Micrurus fulvius), which also does not rear upwards and produce a hood when threatened^[4]: p.30

The false water cobra (Hydrodynastes gigas) is the only "cobra" species that is not a member of the Elapidae. It does not rear upwards, produces only a slight flattening of the neck when threatened, and is only mildly venomous.^[4]: p.53

Look up cobra in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Index of articles associated with the same name

This article includes a list of related items that share the same name (or similar names).
If an internal link incorrectly led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Index of animals with the same common name

This page is an index of articles on animal species (or higher taxonomic groups) with the same common name (vernacular name). If an internal link led you here, you may wish to edit the linking article so that it links directly to the intended article.