The Mandalay spitting cobra (''Naja mandalayensis''), also called the Burmese spitting cobra or Mandalay cobra, is a species of spitting cobra endemic to the dry zone in central Myanmar.

Etymology

''Naja mandalayensis'' was first described by herpetologists Wolfgang Wüster and

Joseph Bruno Slowinski Joseph Bruno Slowinski (November 15, 1962 – September 11, 2001) was an American herpetologist who worked extensively with elapid snakes. Research and career Slowinski was born on November 15, 1962 in New York City, New York. He attained his bac ...

in 2000. The

generic Generic or generics may refer to: In business * Generic term, a common name used for a range or class of similar things not protected by trademark * Generic brand, a brand for a product that does not have an associated brand or trademark, other ...

name ''naja'' is a Latinisation of the Sanskrit word () meaning "cobra". The specific epithet ''mandalayensis'' is Latin and refers to the city of

Mandalay Mandalay ( or ; ) is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. Located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631km (392 miles) (Road Distance) north of Yangon, the city has a population of 1,225,553 (2014 census). Mandalay was fo ...

, which is a major city within the range of Naja mandalayensis.

Description

This species of cobra is medium in length, and heavy bodied. The average length of an adult ranges from ; they can grow to . The head is elliptical, depressed, slightly distinct from the neck with a short, rounded snout and large nostrils. The body is compressed dorsoventrally and subcylindrical posteriorly. Its scales are smooth and strongly oblique. The eyes are moderate in size with round pupils. The body of this species is yellowish-brown to dull brown, with darker brownish mottling. The belly is pale with some dark speckling. Specimens are often dark under the chin and throat, followed by a more pale clear area, then by 2 or 3 dark bands across the venter of the hood. This species has no obvious markings on dorsum of the hood, although a spectacle-shaped hood mark may be present, especially in some juveniles. Like other spitting cobra species, they possess a pair of fixed front upper fangs that are highly modified for "spitting" venom.

Geographic distribution

This species is endemic to the central dry zone of Myanmar, spanning the

, 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 range of approximately 18,500 km² based on recorded data.

Habitat

This species occurs in the central dry zone of Myanmar, an area that receives less than of rain annually. The area is made up of

acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

and stunted

dipterocarpaceae Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 16 genera and about 695 known species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus ''Dipterocarpus'', is derived from Greek (''di'' = two, ''pteron'' = wing and ''karpos'' = fru ...

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.

Behaviour and diet

This species of cobra is predominantly nocturnal, hunting at dusk or night. They spend the daylight hours being mostly stationary or basking in the sun. The spitting behaviour of this species is said to be similar to that of the Indochinese spitting cobra (''N. siamensis'') based on anecdotal observations made by herpetologists. Mandalay spitting cobras are alert and defensive snakes, quickly raising their forebodies and spreading a broad hood when faced with a threat. Very little provocation is required to cause them to spit. The venom can be efficiently expelled at least in distance. In addition to spitting, this species will often also charge forward towards the threat while hissing loudly. It preys mainly on toads and frogs but will also take other snakes, small

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

s and occasionally even fish.

Venom

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.

References

External links

Encyclopedia of Life
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2711450 Naja Reptiles of Myanmar Venomous snakes Reptiles described in 2000