Arabian cobra explained

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 (Sanskrit: [[:wikt:नाग#Sanskrit|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.^[1]

Distribution

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

The Photo Ark

• In November 2021, National Geographic announced that the Arabian cobra was the milestone 12,000th animal photographed for The Photo Ark.^[2]

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).

Notes and References

1. Trape, Jean-François. Chirio, Laurent. Broadley, Donald G..

   fr:Donald George Broadley

   . Wüster, Wolfgang. Wolfgang Wüster. 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. Zootaxa. 2236. 1–25. 10.11646/zootaxa.2236.1.1 . 9 February 2012.
2. Web site: DELL'AMORE . DELL'AMORE . Arabian cobra becomes 12,000th animal added to ark of at-risk species . nationalgeographic.com . National Geographic . 20 November 2021 . https://archive.today/20211120213144/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/arabian-cobra-milestone-species-in-photo-ark . 20 November 2021 . 16 November 2021 . dead .