Head to head
Monocled Cobra vs Indian Cobra
Monocled Cobra
VS Indian Cobra
The monocled cobra and Indian cobra are two Asian hooded cobras in the genus Naja whose ranges meet in the east of the Indian subcontinent.
| Monocled Cobra | Indian Cobra | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Naja kaouthia | Naja naja |
| Hood marking | A single pale ring, like a monocle, on the back of the hood | A spectacle-shaped pattern, often a pair of connected rings, on the spread hood |
| Colour and size | Brown to olive to almost black, with a paler belly | Usually 1 to 1.5 metres long, occasionally to 2.2 metres |
| Diet | Rodents, frogs, lizards, fish, and other snakes | Rodents, frogs, toads, birds, lizards, and other snakes |
| Venom | Affects the nerves and can also destroy tissue around the bite | Mainly neurotoxic, causing paralysis, and also damaging tissue at the bite site |
| Habitat | Wetlands, ponds, canals, rice paddies, and forest edges | Fields, forest edges, wetlands, and around villages and towns |
| Range | Eastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and southern China | The Indian subcontinent: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, with a stable population | Least Concern |
Monocled Cobra vs Indian Cobra: common questions
How can you tell a monocled cobra from an Indian cobra?
The monocled cobra has a single pale ring on the back of its hood, while the Indian cobra has a spectacle-shaped pattern.
Which cobra does the snake charmer use?
The Indian cobra is the classic snake-charmer cobra, which follows the pungi's movement rather than its sound.
Which one destroys tissue?
Both have venom that damages tissue at the bite site as well as acting on the nerves, so any bite needs urgent medical treatment.