black-necked cobra

Thân thiện

A black-necked cobra rears up and spreads its hood in the dry grass.

Definition

Noun: 1. A venomous African snake: The black-necked cobra is a species of spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) native to Africa. It is known for its defensive behavior of spraying venom accurately at the eyes of a threat, which can cause severe pain and temporary or permanent blindness, rather than biting.

Usage Notes

• The term "black-necked cobra" is a common name for a specific zoological species. It is used in both general and scientific contexts to identify this snake.
• It is typically used as a countable noun (e.g., , ).

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The black-necked cobra is easily identified by the dark band on the underside of its neck.
  • While hiking in the savanna, they spotted a black-necked cobra coiled near a rock.
  • Herpetologists study the venom composition of the black-necked cobra.

Advanced Usage

• The species is sometimes referred to by its scientific binomial name, Naja nigricollis, in academic or technical writing.
• In descriptive contexts, it may be called a "spitting cobra", though this term applies to several related species.

Variants and Related Words

• Spitting cobra (n): A general term for cobras of the genus that can eject venom from their fangs. The black-necked cobra is one of the most well-known spitting cobras.
• Naja nigricollis (n): The formal scientific Latin name for the species.

Synonyms

• Spitting cobra (general term)
• Naja nigricollis (scientific term)

Related Phrases

• To spit venom: The primary defensive action of this snake. This phrase is often used literally when describing the cobra's behavior.
  • When cornered, the black-necked cobra will rear up and spit venom at the predator's face.

Học thuật

Noun

1. aggressive cobra widely distributed in Africa; rarely bites but spits venom that may cause blindness

Từ đồng nghĩa

• spitting cobra
• Naja nigricollis