How to Identify the Andaman Cobra (Identification Guide)

Key identifying features

The Andaman cobra (Naja sagittifera) is a medium-sized cobra endemic to the Andaman Islands, displaying the classic cobra defensive stance of rearing up and spreading a hood when threatened. Unlike some mainland relatives, this species is not typically considered a spitter, relying instead on hooding and striking as its primary defensive display.

Coloration & pattern

Adults are usually dark brown to blackish above, often with a somewhat glossy appearance and minimal contrasting pattern. Some individuals show faint pale flecking, but the overall impression is of a dark, relatively plain-bodied cobra. The venter is pale, typically cream to grayish, sometimes with darker mottling near the throat.

Head, eyes & scales

The head is moderately broad and only slightly distinct from the neck, with large smooth scales typical of Naja species. Eyes are round-pupiled and moderately sized. The hood is moderately broad when spread, without a prominent single eye-spot marking on the rear.

Size & body shape

Adults typically reach 1.2–1.6 m, with a moderately robust body and average tail length, making it comparable in size to several mainland Asian cobra species.

Range & habitat where you'll see it

The Andaman cobra is restricted to the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, inhabiting forested and semi-cultivated lowland areas, often near human settlements and agricultural land where rodent prey is available.

How to tell it apart from look-alikes

Because it is the only cobra species native to the Andaman Islands, geographic location is the single most reliable identifying factor. Its dark, largely unpatterned body distinguishes it from the more boldly marked monocled cobra found on the Asian mainland, which shows a distinct pale hood ring absent in the Andaman cobra. No other true cobra species is native to these islands, simplifying identification considerably.