Filipino Cobra
| Filipino Cobra | ||||||||||||
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Filipino Cobra ( Naja philippinensis ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Well philippinensis | ||||||||||||
| Taylor , 1922 |
The Philippine Cobra ( Naja philippinensis ), also Philippine cobra , is a spitting cobra , which the genus of genuine cobras belongs exclusively to the Philippines occurs.
features
The snake normally reaches a length of 1.20 to 1.60 m, in individual cases up to 2 m. The coloration of the animals varies greatly between gray, light brown, red brown, ocher, and dark brown to almost black. Often the snakes have a neck mark, which consists of oblique stripes. Young animals are dark brown to olive green with a light, grid-like pattern on the trunk. In the Philippine cobra, the rounded head hardly stands out from the body. Like most cobras, it is also able to spread its neck into a pronotum with the help of its elongated neck ribs .
Way of life
It is ground-dwelling, crepuscular and nocturnal and does not prefer a specific habitat , so it can be found practically everywhere. However, it likes to be near human settlements, where food and shelter are in abundance. The main diet includes frogs, toads, small mammals , birds , small reptiles and occasionally other snakes.
For reproduction , it lays up to 40 eggs in a protected and moist hiding place. What is striking about this species is the high level of irritability and nervousness . Before she struck, she made a series of threatening gestures and began to hiss like a cat.
toxicity
The poison of this type is both hemotoxic and neurotoxic . The neurotoxins have a primarily postsynaptic effect and prevent acetylcholine from binding to the receptor, which means that the associated ion channel can no longer open and a polarization block occurs. The resulting respiratory failure requires immediate medical treatment. According to a study, 38 out of 39 bite victims showed symptoms that could be traced back to the neurotoxic content of the venom. These resulted in respiratory paralysis in 19, three of them within 30 minutes of the bite. The death rate among Filipino rice farmers in 1987 was 107 per 100,000 and year. A monovalent antivenin against the poison is produced in the Philippines .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b M. Lutz: The Cobras of the Philippine Archipelago Part I: The Philippine Cobra, Naja philippinensis Taylor, 1922 . In: Sauria . tape 28 (3) , 2006, pp. 5-11 .
- ↑ General and special pharmacology and toxicology. 7th edition, Spektrum Verlag, 1996, p. 891, chapter 32.10, ISBN 3-8274-0088-0 .
- ↑ G. Watt, L. Padre, ML Tuazon, CG Hayes: Bites by the Philippine Cobra (Naja naja philippinensis): an Important Cause of Death among Rice Farmers . In: American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene . tape 37 , 1987, pp. 636-639 .
- ^ G. Watt, L. Padre, ML Tuazon, DG Theakston, L. Laughlin: Bites by the Philippine Cobra (Naja naja philippinensis): Prominent Neurotoxicity with Minimal Local Signs . 1988.
- Jump up ↑ G. Watt, L. Padre, ML Tuazon, DG Theakston, L. Laughlin: Tourniquet Application after Cobra Bite: Delay in the Onset of Neurotoxicity and the Dangers of Sudden Release . In: American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene . tape 38 (3) , 1988, pp. 618-622 .
- ^ Department of Health, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, FCC, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
literature
- M. Lutz: The Cobras of the Philippine Archipelago Part I: The Philippines Cobra, Naja philippinensis Taylor, 1922 . In: Sauria . tape 28 (3) , 2006, pp. 5-11 .
- General and special pharmacology and toxicology . 7th edition. Spektrum Verlag, 1996, ISBN 3-8274-0088-0 , 32.10, pp. 891 .
Web links
- Well philippinensis in The Reptile Database
- Well philippinensis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: Sy, E., Brown, R., Afuang, L., Diesmos, A. & Gonzalez, JC, 2007. Retrieved January 7, 2014.