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Species of snake From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The many-banded snake (Naja multifasciata), also known commonly as the burrowing cobra, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Central Africa. There are three recognized subspecies.
Many-banded snake | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Elapidae |
Genus: | Naja |
Subgenus: | Boulengerina |
Species: | N. multifasciata |
Binomial name | |
Naja multifasciata (F. Werner, 1902) | |
distribution | |
Synonyms[2] | |
N. multifasciata is found in Angola, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of Congo,[1][2] and the Central African Republic.[1][3]
The preferred natural habitat of N. multifasciata is marshy areas of forest, at elevations up to 800 m (2,600 ft).[1]
N. multifasciata is a small snake with an adult size of 50 cm (20 in) and maximum size of about 81 cm (32 in). The body is moderately slender with a short tail ending in a blunt spike. The head is short, flattened, and slightly distinct from neck; the neck region is not capable of expansion into a hood. The eyes are medium to moderately large. The pupils are round. The dorsal scales are smooth and glossy.[3]
N. multifasciata is venomous.[2][4] Its venom is similar to classical cobra venoms and appears to contain both neurotoxins and cardiotoxins.[4]
The genus Paranaja was synonymised with Naja in a recent molecular phylogenetic study, as this species is closely related to the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca) [5]
Three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.[2]
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Naja.
The subspecific name, duttoni, is in honor of British parasitologist Joseph Everett Dutton.[6]
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