Did you know that the poison of the Indian Cobra is used in research, and for manufacturing analgesics and anti-cancer medications?
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| Indian Cobra (Naja naja) from BHL. |
The Indian Cobra is a poisonous snake occupying large areas of the Middle East, from India through China and Indonesia. Indian natives call it nag, naga, pambo, gokhura or nagara havu. The snake is typically over one meter long, with a hood over its neck vertebrae which it inflates when threatened. Its body is variously colored, from creamy white through brown and all the way to black. Sometimes, the Cobra has a typical half-ring patterns on the back of its neck.
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| Indian Cobra (Naja naja) by Kamalnv from EOL. |
Indian cobra lives anywhere it can find suitable shelter, even in areas occupied by humans. Cobras do not normally attack humans when not threatened, except during mating season. When meeting a cobra, the best strategy is to remain calm, since cobras react aggressively to rapid movements. The cobra's poison, similarly to that of other rat snakes (genus Elaphe), has primarily neurotoxic effects.
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