Light brown N. siamensis

These are my N. siamensis.
Has anyone seen light colored siamensis like this before?

Light brown N. siamensis Naja+siamensis_84955

And this is my black and white male.

Light brown N. siamensis IMG_8888

Quote :: Has anyone seen light colored siamensis like this before?

I did.

I used to have a specimen coloured like yours with just the same indistinct Naja naja-like neck pattern.

That colouration is often found in the "Isan"-form of Naja siamensis.
regards
Peter

Guest

Peter Zürcher wrote:

Quote :: Has anyone seen light colored siamensis like this before?

I did.

I used to have a specimen coloured like yours with just the same indistinct Naja naja-like neck pattern.

That colouration is often found in the "Isan"-form of Naja siamensis.
regards
Peter

Hi Peter,

A newbie question: what do you call the "Isan" form? Is it a geographical range? Or a genetic occurrence?

Thanks a lot.

Ok

Do you have any pictures? What was their color like when they became adult?
Were they born with the same color as thisone? (pic #1)

If I'm not mistaken the N. isanensis is what we now call brown N. siamensis. From the Isan region of Thailand.

I didn't give this name - but some authors like Nutaphand (1982, Naja naja isanensis), (1966, Naja isanensis), followed by Lingenhöle & Trutnau (1989, Naja sputatrix isanensis) and numerous importers and dealers, who named every light coloured Indochinese Cobra in these times of systematic confusion Naja naja isanensis, Naja isanensis, Naja sputatrix isanensis or just Isan Cobra.
No type locality was given by Nutaphand, but according to Wüster et al. (1997) and Lingenhöle & Trutnau (1989) this form is mainly found in northeastern provinces of Thailand.

see here:
Lingenhöle, S. & Trutnau, L. 1989. Über die Kobras der Gattung Naja LAURENTI 1758 in Thailand. Herpetofauna 11 (58): 6-13
only in german language - i could scan it for you if you're interested
and:
Wuster, W.; Warrell, D. A.; Jintakune, P. 1997. Redescription of Naja siamensis (Serpentes: Elapidae), a widely overlooked spitting cobra from S.E. Asia: geographic variation, medical importance and designation of a neotype. Journal of Zoology 243 (4): 771-

Best regards
Peter

Ah, nice pictures! About time! Wink

Thank yu for the nice pictures. Interesting snake.

wen i look to the first picture i see sputatrix..
when this is siamensis than it is a realy nice siamensis..
realy nice animal good luck with himm..
gr jorg

Peter Zürcher wrote:: I didn't give this name - but some authors like Nutaphand (1982, Naja naja isanensis), (1966, Naja isanensis), followed by Lingenhöle & Trutnau (1989, Naja sputatrix isanensis) and numerous importers and dealers, who named every light coloured Indochinese Cobra in these times of systematic confusion Naja naja isanensis, Naja isanensis, Naja sputatrix isanensis or just Isan Cobra.
No type locality was given by Nutaphand, but according to Wüster et al. (1997) and Lingenhöle & Trutnau (1989) this form is mainly found in northeastern provinces of Thailand.

see here:
Lingenhöle, S. & Trutnau, L. 1989. Über die Kobras der Gattung Naja LAURENTI 1758 in Thailand. Herpetofauna 11 (58): 6-13
only in german language - i could scan it for you if you're interested
and:
Wuster, W.; Warrell, D. A.; Jintakune, P. 1997. Redescription of Naja siamensis (Serpentes: Elapidae), a widely overlooked spitting cobra from S.E. Asia: geographic variation, medical importance and designation of a neotype. Journal of Zoology 243 (4): 771-

Best regards
Peter

Yes I would like a copy please Smile

Thanks!
How did yours look as an adult?

I know it's siamensis and not sputatrix.

Guest

Hi,

I have found 3 or 4 papers below all about siamensis.

http://www.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/Publications.htm

Some are old but they take you through how it's come to be Naja siamensis having previously been classified as a mixture of kaouthia and a subspecies of Naja naja among other things. It appeared (at least to me) to have been pretty confusing.

The first 4 photos are very interesting. Many of my black & white siamensis specimens hatch out very light, sometimes pinkish like the first photo. But that one, though it does have an obvious pattern like the black & whites, seems to be turning tan/brown & white.

According to WW's Asiatic Cobra page, quote "Specimens from northern and eastern Thailand tend to be uniformly light brown, olive, sometimes distinctly greenish, often with a somewhat faded appearance."

Your specimen is not uniformly light brown, (some current full body photos will show us more), but it does have a light brown faded appearance of the variable pattern usually seen on black & white specimens.

I reckon it is possible that it has B&W ancestors from central Thailand and also from the north or Isan area where they tend to be light brown.

Keep us posted on it's progression, as the color may still change for a few more sheds, as it is only going on 1 year old.

Very nice though, wish it was mine.

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