Kaalinga will be scientific name for Kalinga Sarpa

Kaalinga will be scientific name for Kalinga Sarpa

Sub : Env

SEC: Species in news

Context:

• The Western Ghats king cobra, locally called Kalinga Sarpa in Kannada, has been officially named Ophiophagus kaalinga.
• This distinct species of king cobra was identified through nearly a decade of research led by herpetologist Dr. P. Gowri Shankar.

About Ophiophagus kaalinga:

• It is a species native to the Western Ghats in southwestern India and is found in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, and parts of Maharashtra.
• The Western Ghats king cobra has fewer than 40 bands on its body, a blackish brown body, pale bands, and a creamy yellow belly. It can grow to over 10 feet in length.

Early Classification:

• Until recently, all king cobras across South and Southeast Asia were considered a single species (Ophiophagus hannah), first named in 1836 by Danish naturalist Theodore Edward Cantor.

New findings:

• The study revealed four distinct lineages of king cobras:
  • Western Ghats (Ophiophagus kaalinga)
  • Indo-Chinese lineage
  • Indo-Malaysian lineage
  • Luzon Island lineage (Salvatana)