Cobra

The Indian cobra, Naja naja, is regarded by many as the archetypal cobra.

A cobra ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a snake and usually a venomous member of the family Elapidae (elapids). The name is short for cobra de capello (or cobra di capello), which is Portuguese for "snake with hood," or "hood-snake." When disturbed, most of these snakes can rear up and spread their neck (or hood) in a characteristic threat display. However, not all snakes referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family.

Cobra may refer to:

• Any member of the genus Naja, a.k.a. typical cobras, a group of venomous elapids found in Africa and Asia.
• Any member the genus Boulengerina, a.k.a. water cobras, a group of venomous elapids found in Africa.
• Any member of the genus Aspidelaps, a.k.a. shield-nosed cobras or coral snakes, a group of venomous elapids found in Africa.
• Any member of the genus Pseudohaje, a.k.a. tree cobras, a group of venomous elapids found in Africa.
• Paranaja multifasciata, a.k.a. the burrowing cobra, a venomous elapid species found in Africa.
• Ophiophagus hannah, a.k.a. the king cobra, a venomous elapid species found in southern Asia.
• Hemachatus haemachatus, a.k.a. the spitting cobra or rinkhals, a venomous elapid species found in Africa.
• Micrurus fulvius, a.k.a. the American cobra or eastern coral snake, a venomous elapid species found in the southeastern United States.
• Hydrodynastes gigas, a.k.a. the false water cobra, a mildly venomous colubrid species found in South America.
• A taxonomic synonym for the genus Bitis, a.k.a. puff adders, a group of venomous vipers found in Africa and in the south of the Arabian Peninsula.