Dwarf water cobra
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Naja
Subgenus: Boulengerina
Species:
N. nana
Binomial name
Naja nana
Collet & Trape, 2020[1]
Distribution of the dwarf water cobra

The dwarf water cobra (Naja nana) is a small, venomous species of aquatic cobra found in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Katanga). It was first described by Marcel Collet and Jean-Francois Trape in 2020, based on two specimens from Lake Mai-Ndombe.

Taxonomy

Naja nana is classified under the genus Naja of the family Elapidae, and considered a member of the Boulengerina subgenus, along with related species such as Naja annulata, Naja christyi, and Naja melanoleuca. The genus name Naja is a Latinisation of the Sanskrit word nāgá (नाग), meaning "cobra”; the species name nana derives from the Latin word, nanus, which means feminine, in reference to its small size.

Description

The dwarf water cobra typically doesn't grow longer than 1 m (3.3 ft),[2] unlike the two other semiaquatic African Naja species, Naja annulata and Naja christyi, both of which can attain lengths of up to about 2.5 m (8.2 ft).[3]

Distinguishing features of the species include its characteristic defensive posture, its aquatic lifestyle, the straight-row arrangement of its dorsal scales, and its distinctive coloration: black with small white or yellowish spots, a whitish abdomen, and a black underside of the tail.[1]

The eggs of the dwarf water cobra are large and elongated, and require 70 days of incubation to hatch.[4]

Behavior

Dwarf water cobras can swim and climb, but generally prefer a terrestrial habitat, although they will hunt and defecate in water when able.[5] In the wild they are exclusively piscivorous,[6][3] although in captivity they are often fed a rodent-based diet.[5] One case of cannibalism of a conspecific snake is known.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Uetz, P; Hallermann, J. "Naja nana COLLET & TRAPE, 2020". Reptile Database. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  2. ↑ Trape, J.F; Collet, M (2020). "A new and remarkable species of semi-aquatic naja (Elapidae, subgenus Boulengerina Dollo, 1886) from the Democratic Republic of Congo". Bulletin de la Société Herpétologique de France. 173: 41–52. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Spawls, S; Howell, K; Hinkel, H; Menegon, M (27 March 2018). A Field Guide to East African Reptiles (2 ed.). London: Bloomsbury Natural History. p. 624. ISBN 978-1472935618. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  4. ↑ Raw, LR; Deacon, R (27 June 2021). "Two additional specimens of Naja (Boulengerina) nana (Serpentes: Elapidae) with notes on captive husbandry and behaviour". Occasional Papers in Zoology. 9: 1–8. doi:10.5281/zenodo.5103417. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  5. 1 2 Raw, LR; Deacon, R (27 June 2021). "Two additional specimens of Naja (Boulengerina) nana (Serpentes: Elapidae) with notes on captive husbandry and behaviour". Occasional Papers in Zoology. 9: 1–8. doi:10.5281/zenodo.5103417. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  6. ↑ Chippaux, J.P; Jackson, K (18 June 2019). Snakes of Central and Western Africa. United States: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 448. ISBN 978-1421427195.
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