Naja kaouthia
Silhouette: V. Deepak · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia), also called monocellate cobra and Indian spitting cobra, is a venomous cobra species widespread across South and Southeast Asia. It is characterized by a distinctive circular or "monocle"-shaped marking on the hood, though the pattern can be highly variable or even absent in some individuals. It occupies a wide range of habitats, including forests, agricultural land, and areas near human settlements. It is responsible for a significant proportion of snakebite incidents and fatalities in its range, due to its potent neurotoxic venom and frequent proximity to human settlements. Some populations of the monocled cobra have the ability to spit venom with notable accuracy, though not all individuals exhibit this behavior.
The scientific name Naja kaouthia was proposed by René Lesson in 1831, when he described the monocled cobra as a beautiful snake that is distinct from the spectacled cobra, with 188 ventral scales and 53 pairs of caudal scales.
Since then, several monocled cobras were described under different scientific names: In 1834, John Edward Gray published Thomas Hardwicke's first illustration of a monocled cobra under the trinomial... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chattogram | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | |
| 2 | Kolkata | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Bangkok | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 4 | Kuala Lumpur | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Moscow Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 3 | Cabarceno Natural Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Toronto Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Chiang Mai Zoo | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Terra Natura Benidorm | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | National Zoo of Malaysia | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Taronga Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Melbourne Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Crocodile Farm | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 11 | Paphos Zoo | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | |
| 12 | Tbilisi Zoo | 🇬🇪 Georgia | |
| 13 | Cherkasy Zoo | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 14 | Zoológico La Reina | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 15 | Siam Serpentarium | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 16 | Snake Farm of Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 17 | Città della Domenica | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 18 | National Reptile Zoo | 🇮🇪 Ireland |
No species of the same family or order lives in Kolkata, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Monocellate Cobra sighting in Kolkata on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 13th most-seen of the 14 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April, August and November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Monocellate Cobra in Kolkata on a given day, against under 5% in May–July, September–October and December–January, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Monocellate Cobra sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Monocellate Cobra sightings, Kolkata ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Chattogram (Bangladesh, about 40%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Monocellate Cobra is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Kolkata (6 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
