Wildlifeof India
Monocled Cobra
Cobras, Kraits & Sea Snakes
Photo: (c) Chris Oldnall, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC-BY-SA (May be cropped or resized)
Naja kaouthia
Basic stats
Diet
Juveniles mostly amphibians; adults small mammals, snakes and fish
Habitat
Terrestrial; in rice-growing areas, rodent burrows in field dykes
Range
India to China, Vietnam and Cambodia; in India, mainly the north-east and east
Clutch size
16–33 eggs
Incubation period
55–73 days
Size
Adults 1.35–1.5m; up to 2.3m
The monocled cobra, also called the monocellate cobra, is a venomous cobra widespread across South and South-east Asia, from India in the west through to China, Vietnam and Cambodia. It is characterised by a circular, monocle-shaped marking on the hood, though the pattern can be highly variable or even absent. The back may be yellow, brown, grey or blackish, with or without ragged or clear crossbands. Adults reach 1.35 to 1.5 m, with a maximum of 2.3 m (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is terrestrial and most active at dusk. In rice-growing areas it hides in rodent burrows in the dykes between fields and has become semi-aquatic in that habitat. Juveniles feed mostly on amphibians, while adults take small mammals, snakes and fish. Females lay 16 to 33 eggs per clutch, which take 55 to 73 days to hatch. The Reptile Database lists Manipur, Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura, Mizoram and Nagaland among others.
Quick answers
- What does the Monocled Cobra eat?
- Juveniles mostly amphibians; adults small mammals, snakes and fish
- What habitat does the Monocled Cobra live in?
- Terrestrial; in rice-growing areas, rodent burrows in field dykes
- Where is the Monocled Cobra found?
- India to China, Vietnam and Cambodia; in India, mainly the north-east and east
- How many eggs does the Monocled Cobra lay?
- 16–33 eggs
- How long are the eggs of the Monocled Cobra incubated?
- 55–73 days
- How big is the Monocled Cobra?
- Adults 1.35–1.5m; up to 2.3m