Naja
Naja is a genus of venomous elapid snakes commonly known as cobras (or "true cobras"). Members of the genus Naja are the most widespread and the most widely recognized as "true" cobras. Various species occur in regions throughout Africa, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Several other elapid species are also called "cobras", such as the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) and the rinkhals (Hemachatus haemachatus), but neither is a true cobra, in that they do not belong to the genus Naja, but instead each belong to monotypic genera Hemachatus (the rinkhals) and Ophiophagus (the king cobra/hamadryad).
| Naja | |
|---|---|
| Indian cobra (Naja naja), species typica of the genus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Naja Laurenti, 1768 |
| Type species | |
| Coluber naja Linnaeus, 1758 | |
Until recently, the genus Naja had 20 to 22 species, but it has undergone several taxonomic revisions in recent years, so sources vary greatly. Wide support exists, though, for a 2009 revision that synonymised the genera Boulengerina and Paranaja with Naja. According to that revision, the genus Naja now includes 38 species.