Arabian cobra
Species of snake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Arabian cobra (Naja arabica) is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula.
| Arabian cobra | |
|---|---|
| |
| Arabian cobra in Al-Shabatayn, Yemen | |
Scientific classification  | |
| 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] | |
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]
