Naja haje

Trape, Jean-François, Chirio, Laurent, Broadley, Donald G. & Wüster, Wolfgang, 2009, Phylogeography and systematic revision of the Egyptian cobra (Serpentes: Elapidae: Naja haje) species complex, with the description of a new species from West Africa, Zootaxa 2236, pp. 1-25 : 21

Key to the species of the Naja haje species complex

1. West African savannas; 25 (rarely 23 or 27) scale rows around the neck; head and supralabial region dark, without pattern in adults; juveniles normally with a strongly contrasting white blotch on the dark neck .......... N. senegalensis

- Elsewhere; 23 or fewer scale rows around neck; head and supralabial region often contrastingly patterned; juveniles without white blotch on neck ....................................................................................................................................... 2

2. Africa south of Tanzania and Congo forests; rostral enlarged, snout pointed; normally 19 or fewer midbody dorsal scale rows...................................................................................................................................................................... 3

- Africa from Tanzania northward, Arabian Peninsula; rostral not enlarged; often 21 midbody dorsal scale rows....... 4

3. Western southern Africa; 17 midbody dorsal scale rows, 15 dorsal scale rows around neck .................... N. anchietae

- Eastern southern Africa; 19 midbody dorsal scale rows, 19 dorsal scale rows around neck .................... N. annulifera

4. Arabian Peninsula; normally over 65 subcaudals; often 19 scale rows around neck, supralabials usually unpatterned ....................................................................................................................................................................... N. arabica

- Africa from Tanzania northward; normally 65 or fewer subcaudals, rarely fewer than 21 scale rows around neck, supralabials often contrastingly patterned with “teardrop” marking, except in very dark animals ................... N. haje