Cobra Taxonomy

Cobra scientific classifications

Asiatic cobras: (Wüster)

Real species (scientific and suggested common names)	Names in the literature and populations for which used.
Naja atra (Chinese cobra)	N. n. atra (common), N. sputatrix atra (China, northern Vietnam )
Naja kaouthia (Monocellate cobra)	N. n. kaouthia (common), N. n. siamensis (common in the toxinological litterature) N. n. sputatrix (Vietnam, rare) N. n. leucodira, N. kaouthia suphanensis (yellow form from central Thailand, rare)
Naja naja (Indian spectacled cobra)	N. n. naja (common), N. n. oxiana (patternless specimens from northern India), N. n. indusi (NW India, northern Pakistan, rare), N. n. karachensis (black form from southern pakistan), N. n. polyocellata (Sri Lanka, rare), N. n. caeca (patternless specimens from northern India, rare)
Naja oxiana (Central asian cobra)	N. n. oxiana, N. n. caeca (rare)
Naja philippinensis (Phillipine cobra, northern Phillipine cobra)	N. n. philippinensis
Naja sagittifera (Andaman cobra)	N. (n.) kaouthia, N. n. sagittifera
Naja samarensis (Visayan cobra, southeastern Philippine cobra)	N. n. samarensis
Naja siamensis (Indochinese spitting cobra)	N. n. kaouthia (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, through confusion), N. n. sputatrix (Thailand) N. n. isanensis, N. n. atra (Thailand) N. atra (Thailand), N. sputatrix atra (rare, Thailand), N. sputatrix isanensis, N. isanensis
Naja sputatrix (southern Indonesian spitting cobra)	N. n. sputatrix
Naja sumatrana (Equatorial spitting cobra)	N. n. sumatrana (Sumatra), N. n. sputatrix (common, Malayan Peninsula, Bangka, Belitung), N. n. miolepis (Borneo), N. n. leucodira (Malayan peninsula, Sumatra), N. n. kaouthia (yellow form from northern Malaysia), N. sputatrix sputatrix (Malayan Peninsula, Java)

This table was copied from the article "Taxonomic changes and toxinology: Systematic revisions of the Asiatic cobras (Naja naja species complex)" by Dr. Wolfgang Wüster.

African cobras:

Scientific name	Common names (where I know any...) and comments.
Naja melanoleuca melanoleuca	Forest cobra
Naja melanoleuca subfulva	Forest cobra
Naja melanoleuca aurata	Not widely recognised
Naja haje haje	Egyptian cobra
Naja haje arabica	?
Naja haje legionis	Not widely recognized
Naja annulifera annulifera	Snouted cobra (former subspecies of N. haje)
Naja annulifera ancietae	Former subspecies of N. haje
Naja nigricollis nigricollis	Black-necked spitting cobra
Naja nigricollis nigricincta	Banded spitting cobra?
Naja nigricollis woodi	Black spitting cobra
Naja nigricollis atriceps	Not widely recognised
Naja nigricollis crawshayi	Not widely recognised
Naja mossambica	Mossambique spitting cobras (formerly subspecies of Naja nigricollis)
Naja pallida	Red spitting cobra (formerly subspecies of Naja nigricollis, then of Naja mossambica)
Naja katiensis	Formerly subspecies of Naja nigricollis, then of Naja mossambica)
Naja nivea	Cape cobra

References.

W, Wuster (1996) Taxonomic changes and toxinology: Systematic revisions of the Asiatic cobras (Naja naja species complex) Toxicon, 34(4),: 399-406

Branch, B. & Spawls, S.(1995) The Dangerous Snakes of Africa: Natural History, Species Directory, Venoms & Snakebite Ralph Curtis Publications

Broadley, D.G. (1995) The snouted cobra, Naja annulifera, a valid species in southern Africa. J. Herp. Assoc. Africa 44(2): 26-32.

Other Classification Methods:

Classification of venomous snakes (Linnaeus)

- class: reptilia
- order: squamata
- sub order: serpentes
- infra order: caenophidea

- family: elapidae
- sub fam: elapinae
- sub fam: hydrophiinae
- sub fam: laticaudinae

Classification based upon positioning and shape of the teeth (Rosenberg)

- Proteroglyphs: Anterior maxillary teeth are deeply grooved, usually with the edges fused to enclose a canal. They are enlarged and there are usually smaller teeth behind the fangs, up to about eight in number. Sometimes they too are grooved.

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