https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Ophiophagus_kaalingaOphiophagus kaalinga - Revision history2026-10-27T15:07:17ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ophiophagus_kaalinga&diff=523076&oldid=prevMaryellenBuckman at 11:28, 1 May 20262026-05-01T11:28:49Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Species of snake}}<br />
{{Speciesbox<br />
| image = King Cobra agumbe.jpg<br />
| image_caption = From [[Agumbe]], [[Karnataka]], [[India]].<br />
| genus = Ophiophagus<br />
| species = kaalinga<br />
| authority = Gowri Shankar, Das & Ganesh, 2024<br />
| range_map = <br />
| range_map_caption = <br />
}}<br />
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'''''Ophiophagus kaalinga''''', the '''Western Ghats King Cobra''', is a species of King cobra endemic to the [[Western Ghats]] of south-western India.<ref name=taxonomy>{{Cite journal |title=Taxonomic revision of the king cobra Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor, 1836) species complex (Reptilia: Serpentes: Elapidae), with the description of two new species |journal=European Journal of Taxonomy |date= 2024|volume= |doi= 10.5852/ejt.2024.961.2681|url=https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/view/2681/12413|last1= Das|first1= Indraneil|last2= Gowri Shankar|first2= P.|last3= Swamy|first3= Priyanka|last4= Williams|first4= Rhiannon C.|last5= Lalremsanga|first5= Hmar Tlawmte|last6= Prashanth|first6= P.|last7= Sahoo|first7= Gunanidhi|last8= Vijayakumar|first8= S.P.|last9= Höglund|first9= Jacob|last10= Shanker|first10= Kartik|last11= Dutta|first11= Sushil K.|last12= Ganesh|first12= S.R.|last13= Wüster|first13= Wolfgang|issue= 961|page=2681 |doi-access= free|bibcode=2024EJTax.961.2681D }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dasgupta |first=Shreya |date=2024-10-21 |title=Four of a kind: King cobra is a quad of species, not one, study finds |url=https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/four-of-a-kind-king-cobra-is-a-quad-of-species-not-one-study-finds/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=Mongabay Environmental News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ghai |first=Rajat |date=2024-10-18 |title=Long live the King Cobra(s): Scientists recategorise world's longest venomous snakes into 4 distinct species, with one from the Western Ghats |url=https://www.downtoearth.org.in/wildlife-biodiversity/long-live-the-king-cobras-scientists-recategorise-worlds-longest-venomous-snakes-into-4-distinct-species-with-one-from-the-western-ghats |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=Down To Earth |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pflughoeft |first=Aspen |title=Venomous 10-foot-long snake found in hills of India and discovered as new species |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/venomous-10-foot-long-snake-found-in-hills-of-india-and-discovered-as-new-species/ar-AA1snPMS |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=www.msn.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hestermann |first=Bethanie |date=2024-10-18 |title=Scientists Discover New Large, 'Dangerously Venomous' Snakes |url=https://outdoors.com/scientists-discover-new-large-dangerously-venomous-snakes/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=Outdoors with Bear Grylls |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hestermann |first=Bethanie |date=2024-10-22 |title=New king cobra species in Luzon identified |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/scitech/science/924545/new-king-cobra-species-in-luzon-identified/story/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=GMA News Online |language=en}}</ref><br />
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== Description ==<br />
''Ophiophagus kaalinga'' is characterized by pale bands without darker edges on adult snakes, unlike the unbanded ''[[Ophiophagus salvatana|O. salvatana]]'' and the banded ''[[King cobra|O. hannah]]'', which has dark edges. Additionally, ''O. kaalinga'' has fewer pterygoid teeth (12) compared to ''O. hannah'' (18–21). Juvenile ''O. kaalinga'' also has 28–48 fewer body bands than ''O. salvatana''.<ref name="taxonomy" /><br />
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== Etymology ==<br />
[[File:King Cobra imported from iNaturalist photo 52769884 on 23 October 2024.jpg|left|thumb|Juvenile]]The specific epithet ''kaalinga'' comes from the [[Kannada|Kannada language]] of [[Karnataka]], [[India]], meaning "dark" or "black" (from 'Kali' [ಕಾಳಿ] or 'Kari' [ಕರಿ]). It is an abbreviated form of "Kaalinga Sarpa," which is associated with [[Shiva|Lord Shiva]].<br />
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== Distribution and Ecology ==<br />
''Ophiophagus kaalinga'' is endemic to the Western Ghats in southwestern India, found in [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Kerala]], Karnataka, [[Goa]], and parts of [[Maharashtra]]. Its range extends from the Ashambu hills near [[Kanyakumari]] through various mountain ranges, including the [[Agastya Mala|Agasthyamalai]] and [[Cardamom Hills|Cardamom hills]], reaching elevations of about 100 m to 1800 m above sea level. The species is hill-dwelling and thrives in mid-elevation rainforests (500–900 m) but can also be found in lower foothills and montane forests.<br />
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==Conservation==<br />
As a member of the king cobra species complex, the Western Ghats king cobra is also considered as "vulnerable" under the [[IUCN Red List]].<ref name="taxonomy" /> [[Agumbe rainforest research station]] in [[Agumbe]] is one of the dedicated conservation efforts towards this species.<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Reptiles described in 2024]]<br />
[[Category:Snakes of India]]<br />
[[Category:Venomous snakes]]<br />
[[Category:Elapidae]]<br />
{{Taxonbar|from=Q130581069}}{{Snake-stub}}</div>MaryellenBuckman