Caspian Cobra

Caspian Cobra Latest News

In an intriguing development with respect to wildlife, a rare Caspian Cobra has been recently spotted in the Upper Forest Range of Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh.

About Caspian Cobra

• The Caspian cobra, also called the Central Asian cobra, ladle snake, Oxus cobra, or Russian cobra, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae.  
• It is the most venomous cobra in the world. 
• Scientific Name: Naja oxiana 

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Caspian Cobra Habitat and Distribution

• It is native to Central Asia.
• It is found in parts of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, the Fergana Valley, north and east Afghanistan, northeastern Iran, the northern half of Pakistan from the Kashmir region east to the state of Himachal Pradesh in India, and in southwestern Tajikistan.
• It thrives in arid and semi-arid regions, including rocky hillsides and scrublands. 

Caspian Cobra Features

• It averages 1-1.2 metres, with a maximum known length of 175 cm, making it slightly shorter than the Indian cobra (max 2.2 metres).  
• Its body is slender, uniformly thick from head to midbody, and ends with a medium-length tail. 
• It has long cervical ribs capable of expansion to form a hood. It has no hood marking, just a plain colour instead.  
• When threatened, it will spread its hood to appear larger and more intimidating. 
• Its coloration can vary from light brown to dark brown or even black, sometimes with a faint banding pattern. 
• The belly is usually lighter, ranging from cream to light yellow. 
• Its head is large, as broad as the neck, and has a rounded snout. 

Caspian Cobra Conservation Status

It is classified as ‘Near Threatened‘ under the IUCN Red List. 

News: ETVB